The Progression of Conspiracy

THE PRO(;RESSION Of"'
CONSPIRACY
CARL H. STEVENS
TBS PUBLICATIONS
Lenox, Massachusetts
USA
..
TBS PUBLICATIONS
40 Kemble Street
Lenox, Massachusetts 01240
TBS Publications is a ministry of The Bible Speaks World Outreach; a non-
denominational Christian ministry with a burden to fulfill the Great Commission
throughout the world. If we may assist you in knowing more about Jesus Christ
and the Christian life, please write us, without obligation .
Printed in Lenox, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Copyright 1986
Preface
Conspiracies have plagued pastors and church leaders
across America, causing many to leave their positions. It is
estimated that pastors spend an average of three years in one
location. In fact, several fruitful and productive evangelical
ministries have experienced conspiracies of varying de-
grees in this decade. Often, high-level administrators and
staff members played major roles in these situations involv-
ing organizations that have literally touched millions of
people through nationwide television and radio broadcasts.
I consider this book as our most important publication to
date. It details Satan's progressive strategy in organizing a
conspiracy against godly leaders and ministries. This over-
view of the Progression of Conspiracy is presented with the
express purpose of exposing Satan as the author and
executor of this system of evil against the Church of Christ.
In addition, this book is also intended to encourage and
challenge every pastor and leader to be strong in the most
holy calling that God has given him.
Who hath saved us; and called us with an holy calling.
not according to our works, but according to his own pur-
pose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before
the world began (II Timothy 1 :9).
Special thanks go to John Leonard, president of Stevens
School of The Bible in Lenox, Massachusetts, for his con-
tribution in organizing and arranging much of the material
contained in the section on judging, and to Rick Knapp, pastor
of The Bible Speaks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for his de-
tailed analysis of slander, which appears in the appendix.
Carl H. Stevens
Table of Contents
STAGE ONE JUDGING
Chapter One
Hath God Said? ....................................... 12
Chapter Two
Who Art Thou? ........................................ 18
Chapter Three
Divine Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter Four
Just Judgment ......................................... 32
STAGE TWO DECEPTION
Chapter One
The Enemy's Plan ..................................... 40
Chapter Two
The Phases of Deception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Chapter Three
Deliverance from Deception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
STAGE THREE CONSPIRACY
Chapter One
A Biblical Definition of Conspiracy ................ 74
Chapter Two
Who Is A Candidate For Conspiracy? ............. 79
Chapter Three
Internal Conspiracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . 87
Chapter Four
Conspiracies Against a Pastor-Teacher ........... 94
Chapter Five
Supernatural Causes For Conspiracy . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Chapter Six
Conspiracies Against Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Chapter Seven
Notes on Conspiracy ...... .... ... . ..... ............ 116
Chapter Eight
Absalom's Conspiracy Against David . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Chapter Nine
God's Provisions Against Conspiracies . . . . . . . . . 135
A P P E ~ D I X SLANDER
The Definition of Slander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
STAGE
ONE
Judging
..
CHAPTER
I
Hath God Said?
Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that
speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his
brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the
law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of
the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is
able to save and to destroy: who art thou that
judgest another? (James 4:11, 12).
In these verses, James speaks of judging and speak-
ing evil (slander). The word for "judging" in the Greek
language is krino. Krino has several meanings, includ-
ing "to separate, choose, esteem, approve, think, re-
solve, determine, or to judge." Used in this context, it
refers to someone who pronounces judgment or sub-
jects others to censure or condemnation. It is assumed
that such decisions are based on observable facts. The
12
ONE JUDGING
other word, translated "speaking evil," is katalaleo.
The word literally means "to speak against" or "to
speak down on." It describes slander, open accusa-
tions and defamation of character ordinarily done be-
hind a person's back. A.T. Robertson described it as
"harsh words about the absent." While krino refers to a
judgmeQt based on facts, katalaleo speaks of a verdict
derived from rumors and assumptions. Katalaleo also
can be found in I Peter 2:12 and 3:16, which refers to
Gentiles who falsely accused Christians of being
workers of wickedness even though there was no real
substance to their charges.
Notice that James 4:11 and 12 equally prohibits both
judging and slander. Even if he has all the facts and a
case that is provable, a person cannot pronounce judg-
ment. There is no difference between the two in the
light of the Word of God. As James 4:11 illustrates,
krino or katalaleo represent not only an attack upon the
person, but upon the law. To judge a person is to judge
the law; to slander a person is to slander the law! James
uses the word nomos ten times in his letter in reference
to the law. In James 1:25 and 2:12, he writes of "the
perfect law of liberty." In James 2:8, it is "the royal
law of love." Can anyone say he is ready to judge ( cen-
sure, condemn) these laws?
The law allows mercy to rejoice against judgment. It
is the law that has set the captives free in Romans 8:2:
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath
made me free from the law of sin and death." If God,
on the basis of the blood of His Son has declared a sin-
ner clean, righteous and acceptable, who can chal-
lenge this law of life? The laws of holiness expose each
13
"
THE PROGRESSION OF CONSPIRACY
human being's unreadiness for heaven, but the super-
ceding laws of Christ's finished work prepare the way
for sinners to be saved and enter God's Kingdom. The
law is much more than a stale set of regulations and
guidelines. It is the Word of God- the mind of Christ (I
Corinthians 2:16). It is what David loved (Psalms
19; 119:97). Gerhard Kittel in his Theological Dic-
tionary of the New Testament, identifies the law with
the Word in James 1:21 that brings a lost sinner to sal-
vation. Christians have been born again by this Word
of truth in James 1:18. Therefore, to judge the law by
judging another is to attack the very basis of salvation.
It maligns the decrees of God, and His grace, love and
forgiveness. God has declared His love toward believ-
ers, and set them at liberty from condemnation through
Jesus Christ. Both krino and katalaleo question the
veracity of His Word and nature.
God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the
son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and
shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he
not make it good (Numbers 23:19).
The Lord is His Word (John 8:25). He has mag-
nified His Word even above His name (or character in
Psalm 138:2). It is a serious thing to sit as a judge of the
Word of God. To slander His Word is to slander Him.
James says that to attack a believer is to attack this doc-
trine. Hebrews 1:3 explains that all things are upheld
by "the word of his power."
Two things can be said about those who do not act
upon the Word. First, one of the main points of James'
letter is that faith without works is useless. A belief
14
ONE JUDGING
that does not produce a change in one's behavior is not
much of a belief. Jesus said, "You will know them by
their fruits" (Matthew 7:16), not by their profession.
One who is a judge, according to James 4:11,12, is
not a doer of the law. Consequently, his own lack of
works proves that he himself is not Spirit filled.
forms and circulates opinions of others when his own
lifestyle cannot be justified. He does not lay down
life for the brethren, nor does he stand in the gap
through prayer and intercession. He does not "think no
evil" (I Corinthians 13:5 ), and he is not occupied with
revealing Christ to the lost.
Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall
into the ditch? ... And why beholdest thou the mote
that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the
beam that is in thine own eye? (Luke 6:39, 41).
The speck of sawdust is a reality, but is there a man
who is qualified to remove it? He must first deal
the blinding impediment in his own vision. As Jesus
said, "He that is without sin among you, let him first
cast a stone" (John 8:7).
Secondly, James 1:22 says: "But be ye doers of the
word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own
selves." A failure to respond in faith-obedience to the
Word as it is preached, produces not only immaturity,
but it also begins a very real process of deception in the
mind. The magnitude of the problem is expressed
James 4:11, 12- not only is there a refusal to do the
Word, but the person does not even desire to hear it.
The person who judges censures the Word. It may
have begun with a careless attitude toward study and
15
prayer or a familiarity with the message from the pul-
pit. He lost his first love, meaning that he stopped rec-
ognizing and receiving the love of God. Next, there
came a lapse in obedience. The Great Commission be-
came a call for others. Soulwinning was avoided.
Prayer was postponed. There was less and less fellow-
ship in the local assembly. This Christian tries to con-
vince his conscience not to take everything so seri-
ously. But eventually the small, seemingly harmless
self-deceptions grew to monstrous proportions. Inno-
cent believers are judged and slandered, especially
those who continue to cling to every Word of God.
Conviction is repudiated, obedience is mocked and
doctrine is distorted. The Word is attacked, rather than
obeyed. In some cases, individuals who once espoused
and even taught fundamental Bible beliefs have apos-
tatized and denied the very Word that saved them.
They begin to practice judging and slander, and end up
judging the Word of God. It is vital for the believer to
recognize that judging is not simply an idle infirmity,
but a very real part of a satanic plan to separate the
Christian from the Word of God and to hinder his
spiritual maturity through deception. Believers must
learn to use their words to edify and minister grace
(Ephesians 4:29), and not to judge, slander, malign
and criticize.
Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou
wicked servant (Luke 19:22).
Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall
give account thereof in the day ofjudgment. For by
thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words
thou shalt be condemned (Matthew 12:36, 37).
16
ONE JUDGING
The believer who orders his speech according to
God's Word will have a sure foundation (Matthew
7:24, 25). But those who continually engage in judg-
ment and slander are destined for rebellion against the
promises of God and an unhappy spiritual experience.
17
CHAPTER
II
Who Art Thou?
Who art thou that judgest another man's servant?
to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he
shall be holden up: for God is able to make him
stand (Romans 14:4).
This is the same question asked in James 4:12. In
that passage, James dealt with the matter and its under-
lying assault on the Word of God. In Romans 14, Paul
concerns himself with the implications judging has on
the work of Christ. Many today anxiously assert their
respect for the Word of God. Much has been said in de-
fense of the infallibility of the Bible. However, these
people cling to unfounded prejudices and standards.
"But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither
understand they his counsel" (Micah 4:12a). The
Word has no place in such people (John 8:37). They
18
ONE JUDGING
may be saved, but their expressions and experience are
not of God: "He that is of God heareth God's words:
ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God"
(John 8:47).
Paul is describing two camps of Christianity in Ro-
mans 14 - the weak and the strong. The former party
was ultra-scrupulous. These believers clung to a
ritualistic Christian experience. They followed strict
limitations and observed certain days as religious. The
Apostle described this camp of believers as being
asthenes in the Greek. The word is usually translated
to mean "weak or infirm," but it also was used to de-
scribe a lack of capacity or an inward deficiency. Paul
used asthenes in his epistle to the Galatians, rep-
rimanding some believers there for their return to cere-
monialism. He warned that such weak, powerless for-
malism would only lead to bondage:
But now after you have known God, or rather are
known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and
beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be
in bondage (Galatians 4:9).
After making this distinction in the first two verses,
Paul exhorts both the strong and the weak to avoid any
form of judgment in verse 3: "Let not him that eateth
despise him that eateth not; and let not him which
eateth not judge him that eateth:for God hath received
him."
The final portion of verse 3 contains perhaps the
most important reason for refraining from judging a
believer: "for God hath received him." "Receive" is
proslambano and means "to take to one's self; or to
19

take into friendship; to receive one who, formerly es-
tranged, has been reunited." If God, Who is com-
pletely righteous and just, has received a sinner into
friendship, how can other sinners relate to him in any
other way?
In verse 4: Paul expands this thought, explaining
that every believer stands or falls "before his own Mas-
ter." It was God who purchased redemption for all
through the blood of His Son. He alone paid the
pnce. God, as Creator, Redeemer and Lord therefore
has exclusive rights to any judgment upon His people. '
the explains the vanity behind any act
of JUdging: Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is
able :o mc:ke him stancf" (Romans 14:4b). This pas-
sage that despite attempts to judge and con-
believer, the Lord will uphold and establish
him. But the Lord thy God turned the curse into a
blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved
thee" (Deuteronomy 23:5b). What a beautiful
th?ught! God will cause the believer to stand because
His reputation is at stake. Bible history proves that
whenever gathered against the people of God,
the Lord moved In to defend in a special way. The
cloud and pillar of fire separated Moses and the Israel-
ites from the murderous armies of Pharaoh at the Red
Sea (Exodus 1 19, 20). The angels gathered to protect
the prophet Elisha (II Kings 6:17). God dispatched an
angel to help Hezekiah and his army:
the Lord sent an angel, which cut off all the
r:zzghty men of valour, and the leaders and captains
zn the camp of the king of Assyria (II Chronicles
32:21).
20
ONE JUDGING
Judging is a dangerous game. God's protection is
with His people. He will vindicate those who are
attacked because of His righteousness.
In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou
shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not
fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near
thee (Isaiah 54:14 ).
Judging Yourself
Therefore, thou art inexcusable, 0 man, who-
soever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou
judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou
thatjudgest doest the same things (Romans 2:1).
The key word in the above is "Therefore." In the
Greek, it is dio, a relative pronoun signifying that the
statement he is about to make must be considered in re-
lation to everything he said previously. In Romans
chapter one, Paul details the corrupt nature of mankind.
First, God reveals His existence through creation in
verse 20. But men "glorified him not as God" in verse
21. They refused to respond in faith to him and, even
worse, men began to worship and place faith in images
of animals and beasts. Thus, God gave them over to
the power of their own lusts (verses 23-25 ).
The downward trend continues and so the Lord
gives them over to vile affections in verse 26. These
were ungovernable passions, which spawned
homosexuality (verses 26, 27). In verse 28, he ex-
plains that God finally delivered these men over to a
reprobate mind. Kenneth Wuest describes this mind as
"a mind which is no mind and cannot discharge the
21
functions of one; a mind in which the divine distinc-
tions of right and wrong are confused and lost so that
God's condemnation cannot but fall on it at
three times natural men tempted God, and
three times He delivered them unto their own uncon-
trollable temptations. The progressive degeneration of
character and integrity leads to a flood of 21 abomina-
tions listed in verses 29-32:
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of
envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisper-
ers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud,
boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to
parents, Without understanding, covenant break-
ers, without natural affection, implacable, unmer-
ciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they
which commit such things are worthy of death, not
only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do
them.
Having constructed this picture of the heart and
nature of the unregenerate man, Paul, in Romans 2:1,
t.hat those who judge are guilty of these same
abominations. Furthermore, "doest" in the Greek is
prasseis, a form of prasso (habit). In other words the
critic habitually practices the aforementioned sins
ply because he judges. Judgment and condemnation
cap the list of the degrading sins of man.
The truth of I Samuel 16:7 must also be considered
here: "for the Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for maif-
looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord
looketh on the heart." Even critical thoughts are rec-
22
ONE JUDGING
ognized by God.
Criticism among the members of Christ's Church has
not only inflicted internal damage in the Church, as
Paul concludes in Romans 2:24, it has had devastating
ramifications outside of it: "For the name of God is
blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is
written." This is the real tragedy. Under the pretense
that they are defending the faith, these judges are actu-
ally betraying the very grace that saved them. Those
with untrained, unregenerate minds detect these atti-
tudes within the Church and reject God's grace be-
cause of its misrepresentation.
And judgment is turned away backward, and jus-
tice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street,
and equity cannot enter (Isaiah 59:14).
23
0 - oo
CHAPTER
III
Divine Discipline
not, ye be not judged. For with what
judgm;ent ye judge' ye shall be judged: and with
wha.t measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you
agam (Matthew 7:1, 2).
""uHere, phrase me krinete is translated
J not. (from krino) is a present tense im-
of I:'rohtbibon. This is an emphatic wamin
against from Remember, krino
of a In consideration of factual evi-
dence. Chnst s command is that Hts h.ld
d . c I ren stop
JU even If they have true information. Wh ? S
they wlll.not come into judgment. y
0
God sbp.ulates that judgment will be rendered upon
who Judge. The degree of retribution will be de-
termined by the extent of the judgment. The recom-
24
ONE JUDGING
pense shall be administered in this life on earth and not
at a future date in eternity.
In recent years, a phenomenon known as Christian
research has developed. Men, self-appointed, un-
sanctioned and without scriptural foundation, have
taken it upon themselves to inspect and investigate dif-
ferent ministries. Their methods are unscrupulous and
in total disregard for common ethics, let alone Chris-
tian ethics. Even in secular courtrooms, a defendent is
presumed innocent until he is proven guilty. This
"pharasaic" espionage has bred suspicion and distrust,
which are well outside the realm of spiritual fruit.
These men have destroyed reputations over an isolated
word or message.
Christians need not be fearful of these critics. God
will take the discipline that the proud judge thinks his
neighbor deserves and place it on the judge himself.
This explains why accusers often fall into the very
thing they previously condemned.
They search out iniquities; they accomplish a dili-
gent search: both the inward thought of every one
of them, and the heart, is deep (amoq- from the
depths of the earth). But God shall shoot at them
with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. So
they shall make their own tongue to fall upon them-
selves: all that see them shall flee away (Psalm
64:6-8).
Each believer must be looked at in the light of
Christ's finished work. Hebrews 10:14 concludes that
each believer is "perfected forever" positionally. In
John 5:24, the Christian is beyond judgment for all of
25
his _sins were judged at Calvary. No one can stand
against the standard of the law: "Therefore by the
deeds of the la.w shall no flesh be justified in his sight:
for by the la_w zs the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20).
!he law exists so mouth may be stopped"
In Romans 3: 19b. It Is designed to bring men to the end
of so that they might look unto Jesus and
upon Htm to be saved. Before he measures another
behever by the precepts of the law th Ch . .
h
. , e nshan
s ould consider the following verses:
For as many as are of the works of the law are
under the for it is written, Cursed is every
one :hat contmueth not in all things which are writ-
ten m the book of the law to do them (Galatians
3:10).
f!ecause the law worketh wrath: for where no law
zs, there is no transgression (Romans 4:15).
For _shall keep the whole law, and yet
offend zn one pomt, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).
For he shall have judgment without mercy, that
shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against
judgment (James 2:13).
. The who judges by the law will himself be
Judged by It, and the Bible makes it clear that no one
the law, according to Romans 3:10:
As zs _wrztten, is none righteous, no, not
one To Judge a behever is to rob him of his right to
stand or before God. Such criticism is a denial of
the s Imputed righteousness and His heritage.
Chnstlans are obligated to express the same mercy and
26
ONE JUDGING
grace they have received. "Freely ye have received,
freely give" (Matthew 10:8b).
God's discipline also is tailored to each individual's
level of maturity. Those who should know better are
disciplined more severely. "For unto whomsoever
much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke
12:48b).
It would be difficult to accurately estimate how
many believers struggle today with unexplained
hardships and confusion in retribution for their judg-
ments. In I Corinthians 11:29 and 30, Paul affirms that
many are weak in the Church because they do not prop-
erly appreciate the portion of other believers. All judg-
ment has been committed to the Son, Jesus Christ.
Those who take it upon themselves to judge, usurp and
dishonor Christ's authority.
For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed
all judgment unto the Son: That all men should
honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He
that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the
Father which hath sent him (John 5:22, 23).
The Divine Protection of Leaders
Against an elder receive not an accusation, but be-
fore two or three witnesses (I Timothy 5:19).
This verse, if it were properly understood and
obeyed, would protect hundreds of God's leaders who
are daily slandered and maligned. Also, it would spare
these leaders much heartache and distress as they are
exposed to such insinuations. "Elder" is presbuteros -
the local leader of a congregation. The Greek word
27
-

martus is translated "witness." It refers to someone
who is able to testify judicially according to what he
actually saw or experienced in person. A biblical wit-
ness does report hearsay or rumors. He is not a per_
son who agrees with the feelings of another
party. He IS to be an eyewitness. In order for a charge
to made against a godly leader, there must be at least
two eyewitnesses and it would be better if there were
three: Paul simply reiterates a longstanding doctrinal
premise (Deuteronomy 17:9; 19:15; John 8:17 II
Corinthians 13:1). In Deuteronomy 19, the of
proof rests on the witness. He had to establish the ve-.
of his account. False witnesses were liable tore-
ceive the very punishment they sought to bring against
the defendent.
Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to
have done to his brother: so shalt thou put the evil
away from among you (Deuteronomy 19:19).
"Receive not" is me paradechomai in the Greek
verb is defined as "to admit, accept or re-
It Is also translated "to entertain." The sense of
I Tu:nothy 5: 19 is that a Christian is not to entertain,
admit or accept an without the requisite of
two or three Witnesses. He is not to listen, except
under the conditions stated. This is rarely the case
Charges are manufactured and differences mag-
nified through hearsay. There are no eyewitnesses
who circulate such profess an
to let people know what Is being said." Such reports
would ne':'er stand as admissable evidence in a court of
law. In this verse, however, the warning is not to the
28
ONE JUDGING
accuser, but to the listener. In receiving accusa-
tions, he is just as guilty as the one spreading the ac-
cusation. .
Finally, this verse is written to not to his
congregation. Paul provides no for the. mem-
bers of the assembly to receive accusations against a_n
elder or leader in the church. Any charges should be di-
rected toward Timothy according to the biblical way.
I Timothy 5:17 says, "Let elders that rule well be
counted worthy of double honour, especially they who
labour in the word and doctrine." This verse should
apprehend any unfounded accusation directed toward
a church leader.
Rebuke Before All
Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also
may fear (I Timothy 5:20).
This verse has been subjected to much debate and
controversy. Some commentators contend that
leaders and other public figures have greater responsi-
bility and accountability, and therefore, answer
publically for their sins. David, who committed
tery with Bathsheba and who sent her husband,
to his death on the battlefield,, said just the opposite In
Psalm 51:4a: "Against thee (God), thee only, have I
sinned, and done this evil in thy sight."
With this in mind, the conclusion can be drawn that
those who should be publicly rebuked are not necessar-
ily leaders caught in sin, but false. witnesses who
spread accusations. An. of this further
supports this interpretation. Them that szn IS a pres-
29

ent active participle of hamartanontas in the Greek
text. It describes continual, habitual action in refer-
ence to mental attitudes that have been harbored and
are growing into a repetitive expression. The word is
masculine in gender and plural in number. Generally,
its antecedent noun would be of similar gender and
number to preserve continuity. In verse 19, "elder"
(presbuteros) is masculine but singular in number.
"Witnesses" (martus), however, is a masculine plural
and therefore the most qualified antecedent. It is the
witnesses who sin who are to be publicly rebuked.
On page 352 of his Greek New Testament, Henry
Alford lists several expositors who support the general
reference. Included in this group was C.J. Ellicott,
whom Alford commends for his " ... thorough and fear-
less examination of the grammatical and philological
requirements of every word in the sacred text."
As noted before, Deuteronomy 19:19 says that false
witnesses receive the punishment for the offense they
slanderously charge another of committing. That is
what a public rebuke does to the accuser. He intended
to bring the elder into public humiliation, but he him-
self is the one who is censured before all. It should be
re-emphasized that this letter was directed to Timothy,
not to the congregation of his church. Paul is offering
some simple instruction in church discipline. The last
thing an accuser wants is an open reprimand.
Some cite Galatians 2: 11 as a basis forpublic rebuke
of a leader. Here, Paul says he "withstood" Peter to the
face. But Peter's behavior was already a public issue at
this point. The situation begged for an immediate re-
sponse. Furthermore, Paul was a leader in that local
30
ONE JUDGING
1 ber nor an out- bl - not a congregatlona mem '
T?:is is not to say that sin
lie or private, dese:ves a careful
18:_15-20 be used to deal with sin
senes of P. Th p oal of these processes is always
in any believer e g ondemn and
. d to restore the offender' not to c
designeh. A leader is not above question' or beyond
Im. 'sa ointed method of deal-
discipline. all believers involved
ing with these situations p . d ff . ently In
1 . h Satan's work quietly an e ICI .
a::d discipline His
s
0
' . ent but It IS not t e JO 0
ally or dnd 16; II Samuell2:7;
the congregation urn ers . . .
Ch . l 21 .7-10 I Connthzans 4.3-5).
I ronzc es . '
31
-
..
CHAPTER
IV
Just Judgment
not according to the appearance, but judge
rzghteous judgment (John 7:24).
quote this verse to justify their judgments. But
Jesus Is very clear His explanation of proper judg-
It must. "nghteous" ( diakaian), without pre-
jUdice or pa_rtiahty and according to His Word. When
temp.ted. to judge .another, the believer should simply
refrain from making a verdict and recognize that the
other or falls before God. Christians must
His mind (I Corinthians 2:16) in order to judge
nghteously.
Righteous judgment is not based upon surface evi-
dence, for .God upon heart (I Samuell6:7).
manifested nghteous judgment in John 7. He
was In Jerusalem for the feast of tabernacles. There
32
ONE JUDGING
was much confusion centering around Him and Who
He was. He taught in the temple and exposed the hearts
of some in attendance, saying "Did not Moses give you
the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go
ye about to kill me?" (John 7:19). Jesus discerned the
motives of their hearts, which obviously were not
accordance with the law given to Moses. He was
accused of deceiving people; yet, the lives of these ac-
cusers were deceptive. They pretended to be some-
thing other than what was in their hearts. . .
This is typical. Those who are most vocal In their
criticisms of others are those who fail to keep the law
themselves. Those who are quick to exercise judgmen-
tal authority over others are those who do not have con-
trol of their own lives. They are not doers of the Word
and do not seek God's glory and God's will. They ele-
vate themselves by slandering others. In John 5:30,
Jesus said,
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I
judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not
mine own will, but the will of the Father which sent
me.
Those who judge justly are those who do the Father's
will. They daily receive from God's Word and learn to
think His thoughts. I Corinthians 2:15 says "But he
that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
judged of no man." Why can he do this? He has the
mind of Christ in I Corinthians 2: 16. In contrast, Ro-
mans 8:7a says "the carnal mind is enmity against
God." "Enmity" ( echthra) implies opposition and hos-
tility. The carnal ( sarx) mind reacts and responds ac-
33
cording senses of perception. It is imperative
that Chnstians learn in an orderly, disciplined
Prover?s 23:7 explains that a man is what he
A behever who judges and accuses is not think-
Ing God.' who looks upon each of His people in
the hght of His Son's finished work.
end is always frustration and defeat.
His Insinuations excite other carnally-minded
people, the is unaffected by them.
Paul explained th1s pnnc1ple In I Corinthians 4:3 and 4:
"f!ut with me it is a very small thing that I should be
of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge
not mme own self For I know nothing by myself;
am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me
zs the Lord.
Paul does not claim to be perfect. His justifi-
Is founded in sinlessness, nor does he rest in
s1nce?ty and ignorance of sins. His righteousness
Is In Chnst alone. Paul determined to let God be God
and every man a liar. of all judgment belong
to Lord for He alone Is omnipotent, omniscient and
The believer who judges justly with the
of desires to condemn and expose.
His purpose Is to discern, discipline, edify and encour-
age so that God may be glorified.
The Foundation of Grace
In the hist?rical in the book of Deuteronomy,
Moses descnbed his first government of captains over
fifties and tens (Deuteronomy
1.15, 16); their pnmary function was "to hear causes
34
ONE JUDGING
between brethren, and judge righteously." Speaking
of God's government, the Bible says: "Righteousness
and justice are the foundation of thy throne" (Psalm
89:14; 97:2). "He has established His throne for judg-
ment, and He shall judge the world in righteousness"
(Psalm 9:7, 8). Government is the administration of
laws by means of judgments. In the case of God, the
law is simply a transcript of His own moral perfec-
tions. The Lord, being absolutely holy, demands
moral purity throughout His creation as the expression
of His character. His laws describe the details of His
standards of holiness. Justice and righteousness are
transitive holiness. Righteousness is the foundation of
divine law. Justice is the character of administration of
that law, and judgment is the practical expression of
God's justice.
The power of a throne is determined by the strength
of its foundation. In Proverbs, government leaders are
counseled to faithfully judge the poor, because "his
throne will be established forever" (Proverbs 29:14).
"Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is
upheld by mercy (righteousness, justice)" (Proverbs
20:28). God's throne is eternally established and se-
cure, even though His own universe has become in-
fected with sin and death, demons, rebellion and insur-
rection. The justice of God demanded retribution, so
He provided for Himself a Lamb, Jesus Christ as a pay-
ment for sin, and ransom for sinners: "Who His own
self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness" (I
Peter 2:24). God's righteousness was manifested apart
from the law, because the law was forever challenged
35
111111111111111
and violated. Jesus was set forth, apart from the law, to
vindicate and demonstrate the righteousness of God
and satisfy (propitiate) the justice of God (Romans
3:21-26). His righteousness is glorified, and His jus-
tice is satisfied, because judgment was laid on Jesus
rather than those who deserve it. And now the right-
eousness of Christ has been reckoned to each be-
liever's account (I Corinthians 1 :30); He has been
made the righteousness of God (II Corinthians 5:21 ).
36
Deception
CHAPTER
I
The Enemy's Plan
The goal of Satan in the life of every believer is to
lead him astray, and to take him on a journey that is
outside the perfect plan of Almighty God. This section
reveals, in a systematic way, some of the methods and
processes Satan employs to deceive believers. Three
important things should be kept in mind:
1. Any area of one's mind that is not filled with
sound doctrine is an area that is open to deception.
2. A believer should develop a doctrinal rapport re-
lationship with his pastor-teacher. If the relationship is
based on personality rapport, and the pastor becomes
deceived and departs from sound doctrine, the believer
is likely to fall into deception himself. He may follow
with the pastor because of the friendship through per-
40
TWO DECEPTION
sonality, rather than being true to the Word of God
through Jesus Christ. .
3. Anything that a thi!lks or that IS
oriented to the way God thinks IS deception. Any atti-
tude outside of grace, any action#outside of faith and
any thought outside of God's love is deception.
In Luke 22:31,32, the Lord said to Peter: "Behold,
Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as
wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail
not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy
brethren." The Amplified Bible brings out the fact
that not only has Satan desired, but "has asked exces-
sively or demanded that (all of) you be given up to
him." The same principle is found in I Peter 5:8 where
the Apostle Peter writes: "Be sober, be be-
cause your adversary ( antidikos) the ( dzabolos ),
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seekzng whom he
may devour." A brief exegesis of
"Be sober" (nephate - aorist, active Imperative of
nepho), which means that the believer is commanded
to produce the action and calm-
minded in perceiving the tactics of his personal adver-
sary, the devil. .
"Be vigilant" (gregoresate) emphasizes that each
believer is commanded (imperative mood) to be
spiritually alert and cautious at all times, lest tan
should take advantage of him, "For we are not zgno-
rant of his devices (noemata)." W .E. Vine
"The devices that are used by Satan are thoughts wh1ch
have been carefully thought out and have a definite
purpose." The accusative case of "devices" (noemata)
41
primarily is an idea of extension in scope, direction,
and content. This refers back to I Peter 5:8 where the
adversary is "seeking whom he may devour." The
devil is not only plotting, he is constantly producing
the action of actively seeking with a fierce hunger for
someone to seize upon and devour.
This principle is also found in Revelation 12:10b:
"For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which
accused (kategoron) them before our God day and
."Accused" (kategoron) is a present, active par-
ticiple In the nominative case. This word literally
means, "A public speaking against." Satan is always
occupied with bringing charges against the brethren
before God. An example of this is found in Job 1 :6-12.
Satan's claim was that Job's goodness was dependent
on his prosperity.
In Matthew 4:1-11, Satan attempted to cause Jesus
to act in His Deity by tempting Him. However, the
Lord Jesus Christ used specific quotes from the Word
of God and thwarted the enemy's plan.
Seducing Spirits
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter
times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed
to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (I
Timothy 4:1 ).
. One Satan uses to lead believers astray
IS seducing spints. These spirits promote deception by
causing Christians to wander in their thinking, thus
helping the enemy accomplish his goal to lead every
child of God astray.
A closer look at the above passage in the Greek re-
42
TWO DECEPTION
veals what the Apostle Paul was attempting to com-
municate to Timothy as well as to the entire Body of
Christ. The phrase "doctrines of devils" actually can
be translated "deceiving and teachings of demons."
These seducing spirits (planao) promote deception
by causing the believer to wander in his thinking.
"Giving heed" (prosechontes) is in the present tense,
active voice and is a participle of prosecho. It means,
"to hold the mind toward something or pay attention to
something." The believer produces the action of
allowing his thoughts to wander away from Christ to-
ward these seducing spirits. The words "seducing
spirits" (pneumasin plano is) are in the dative case. The
dative of disadvantage is used here because the be-
liever's personal interest is affected unfavorably.
"Seducing" (plano is) means "roving, or causing the
believer to wander in his thoughts." Seducing spirits
capture the believer's mind, leading him astray.
In the phrase, "and teachings of demons" (kai didas-
kaliais daimonion), another equally important method
used by these spirits is seen - the process of teaching
doctrines. These doctrines derive their source from de-
mons (daimonion- genitive case denoting possession,
source and ownership).
Ephesians 6: 12 explains that the battle Christians
fight is not against other people; rather, it is a spiritual
battle:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places.
43
In this verse, spirits are denoted in the following
four classes of authority:
A. Principalities- Commanding Officers
Commanding officers are referred to, in this verse,
under the title of principalities (arc has- noun, accusa-
tive case). The phrase, "but (alla - superordinating
conjunction) against principalities," introduces the
thought that these commanding officers are more
superior than flesh and blood.
A discerning Christian will always look beyond
j)esh and blood, discovering the InVISible kingdom be-
)lind all that can be naturally perceived. "Against"
(pros) is a preposition in the accusative case. Accord-
ing to Thayer it means, "Looking towards with an in-
tended end or purpose." Satan is using these prin-
cipalities with an expected end and purpose. He is not
aimless. He has a definite strategy and an order to each
thought and action he initiates. "Principalities" (tas ar-
chas) has the presence of the article ( tas), which iden-
tifies these principalities as having a particular identity
or individuality. If the article were not present, it
would refer to a general quality.
"Principalities" (archas) is a noun in the accusative
case. A.T. Robertson says, "The accusative case
primarily refers to extension, and this case measures
an idea as to its content, scope and direction." Accord-
ing to Strong's Concordance it means, "chief in rank."
Thayer states, "It is the officer in charge." Hence, this
term is referring to angels and demons who hold
dominions entrusted to them. These demons are the
commanders- the generals in Satan's host.
44
TWO DECEPTION
B. Powers- Commissioned Officers
In the phrase from Ephesians 6:12, "against pow-
ers" (pros tas exousias), the definite article (tas) is
once again present. As the presence of this article
suggests, the believer is wrestling against a particular
identity, not simply a qualification of force. "Powers"
(exousias) is a noun in the accusative case. It refers to a
superhuman being to which influential power has been
delegated.
C. Rulers of the Darkness ofThis World- Spies
"Darkness" comes from the Greek word
skotos, which denotes "darkness experienced as an en-
veloping sphere that has significance for existence,
e.g., by hampering movement or foresight, or causing
anxiety or danger" (Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament by Geoffrey W. Bromiley). This darkness
refers to certain spheres of power that evil spirits are
assigned to rule over. One example is seen in Daniel
10:13:
But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood
me one and twenty days: But, lo, Michael, one of
the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained
there with the kings of Persia.
These s ies from Satan's kin dom are found in the
atmos here a mnst lea ers, es
ers. They attack, in greater measure, those who are
fruitful in God's.Kingdom. Lewis Sperry Chafer said,
"There is this bhghtlng satanic opposition that may be
detected in every effort for salvation of the lost. The
faithful pastor or evangelist is sorely assailed with
45
every device of Satan being used to distort the one, all-
important message of grace into something which is
not vital." He also says, "The action of Satan may be
detected in the fact that a humble messenger, who is
loyal to Christ and His salvation by grace alone, will be
almost unheeded at the present time; while the vast
multitude of people will be found supporting that
which is religious only in its externals, but which is, in
reality, a gospel of morality and a subtle denial of the
redemption that is in Christ."
The Apostle Paul further states:
And that because of false brethren unawares
brought in, who came in privily to spy out (kata-
skopeo) our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus,
that they might bring us into bondage (Galatians
2:14).
Thayer defines "spy out" (kataskopeo) as "to inspect
and view closely in order to spy out and plot against."
These spies were false brethren, in this case, who had a
mission to change the Gospel of grace into that of
legalism. These spies conspire with the supernatural
powers against those in positions of authority in God's
Kingdom (i.e., Paul and Daniel) and against Spirit-
filled workers.
D. Spiritual Wickedness in High Places- Demons
"Spiritual wickedness" refers to supernatural beings
that are higher than man, but inferior to God. These be-
ings intentionally practice evil will. "High places" sig-
nifies the lower heavens, or the sphere below the sky.
This speaks of demons who seek to disseminate errors
46
TWO DECEPTION
among men and to seduce believers (I Timothy 4:1).
They are agents who act in all of man's idolatry. Thus,
it is seen that the object of idolatry has no power; it is
the demon associated with it who induces idolatry by
initiating worship and sacrifices.
These demons take advantage of the old sin nature
by motivating a believer to live in the realm of human
goodness so that his life will seem acceptable to God
outwardly, but this person is not really living accord-
ing to divine grace in the power of the Holy Spirit.
47
CHAPTER
II
The Phases of Deception
Four intricate, systematized methods of deception
are employed by the evil forces of darkness. Study
carefully the following four phases of Satan's plan.
Phase One: Atmospheric Deception
Satan's goal is to lead the believer astray through the
process of deception. His method is to deceive Chris-
tians in mental attitude, causing their minds to wander
~ r o m spiritual matters, as brought forth in the follow-
Ing verses:
These things have I written unto you concerning
them that seduce you (I John 2:26).
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee,
because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which
48
TWO DECEPTION
calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce
my servants to commit fornication, and to eat
things sacrificed unto idols (Revelation 2:20).
Now, the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils (I
Timothy 4:1 ).
Symptoms of Atmospheric Deception
It is apparent from the Scriptures that the saints of
God are led astray by being seduced (apoplaneo), or
deceived into false teaching. There are certain signals
or symptoms indicated in theW ord of God that warn us
that the process of deception has begun its course:
A. Speaking statements that make one at ease
(Jeremiah 48:11), as opposed to verbally acknow ledg-
ing the willingness to take up the cross and follow
Christ wherever He might lead (Luke 9:23 ). "Woe to
them that are at ease in Zion" (Amos 6:1 a).
B. Using subtle innuendos in one's speech, which
attack a ministry of God. "For there are many unruly
and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the
circumcision" (Titus 1:10).
C. Lack of concentration on the Word of God.
When this takes place, God's Word will be unable to
find a place in the believer (John 8:37b). If he cannot
meditate on the Word, his faith will be weak because,
"Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word
God" (Romans 10:17).
The consequences of this deception are specified in
Jeremiah 48:
49
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord,
that I will send unto him wanderers, that shall
cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels,
and break their bottles.
Proverbs 21: 16 describes the final results of this
stage of deception:
'{he man that wandereth out of the way o[ under-
standing (the practical application of doctrine)
shall remain in the congregation of the dead.
D. Seeking and desiring stimulation and preserva-
tion of the self-life.
He that loveth his life shall lose it (John 12:25a).
And seekest thou great things for thyself(gratifying
the desires of your flesh)? Seek them not!
(Jeremiah 45:5a).
This know also, that in the last days, perilous times
shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own
selves (II Timothy 3:1 ,2a).
As portrayed in II Timothy 3:4, these persons are
"heady, highminded" and "lovers of pleasures more
than lovers of God."
E. Satan uses bait from within the natural heart of
man to snare and lead him into deceit (dolos). This
principle is illustrated in Mark 7:21-23:
For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed
evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lascivi-
ousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolish-
50
TWO DECEPTION
ness: All these evil things come from within, and
defile the man.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate
mind, to do those things which are not convenient
(Romans 1 :28).
Certainly, an honest evaluation of interaction with
others would reveal a surprising number of occasions
when believers have been entrapped in Satan's snares
by loving the praises of man more than the praises of
God (John 12:43).
F. The tongue of the believer is used by Satan as bait
to lure him into further deception. "To lure him as by
bait" is translated, "to have used deceit (dolioo)."
"Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues
they have used deceit ( dolioo); the poison of asps is
under their lips" (Romans 3:13). Here, the tongue was
the instrument used to ensnare the believer. Jesus used
this same word (dolioo) in Matthew 24:4,5 when He
said, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many
shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall
deceive many."
This plan of luring through bait was first used in
Genesis 3: 1-6 when the serpent took advantage of Eve
by coaxing her to eat from the forbidden tree of knowl-
edge. She responded negatively toward God's prohi-
bition in Genesis 2:16, 17, misquoted the Word of
God, and rejected the perfect plan of God while living
in a perfect environment.
51
Phase Two: Self-Deception
The deceived believer lies to himself, and nega-
tively receives any exhortation toward his conduct. An
arrogant and independent attitude will then appear in
his life, replacing any semblance of humility and bro-
kenness before the Lord. Habitually, he will have the
wrong motive in situations and will allow false impres-
sions to overtake his mind. His mind lacks the firm im-
plantation of the Word in the soil of his soul.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: be-
cause thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also re-
ject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing
thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also
forget thy children. As they were increased, so they
sinned against me: therefore will I change their
glory into shame (Hosea 4:6, 7).
So get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant out-
growth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle,
modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which
implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the
power to save your souls (James 1:21, Amplified).
Ephesians 4:22 commands the believer to "put off
concerning the former conversation the old man,
which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts." If
this provision of putting on the new mind in Christ is
not appropriated, then these lusts will be excited by de-
ceit, for deceit becomes the source of strength.
But- obey the message; be doers of the Word, and
not merely listeners to it, betraying (deceiving)
yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary
to the Truth] (James 1:22, Amplified).
52
TWO DECEPTION
..They begin to receive the action of being deceived and
become aominatea Wltfireasontng
the engrafted truth that was once stored in the soul.
They stopped being a "doer of the law" and
"judge of the law" (doctrine) (James 4:11 ).
There are untold multitudes who have been par-
takers of this type of self-deception. They are never in-
volved with any form of outreach; yet, they will freely
judge and criticize those who have a vision for the lost.
They claim to know God, but in works deny Him
(Titus 1:16). It may appear that they have swelling
words, but remember that Jesus said in John 7:17: "If
any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself."
Godly faith always produces godly works. "But wilt
thou know, 0 vain ( kenos - destitute of spiritual
wealth) man, that faith without works is dead?"
(James 2:20).
Christianity is more than knowing the letter of the
Word, as spoken of in II Corinthians 3:6. It goes
beyond theory and is a manifestation of life in practical
fruitfulness. "Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know
them" (Matthew 7:20).
Deceived in the Mind
The starting point of the second phase of deception
originates when an individual is deceived in his mind.
Galatians 6:3 says, "For if a man think himself to be
something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself."
"Deceiveth" is a present, active, indicative of
phrenapateo, which literally means "to deceive in
one's mind. "It is a fact that this
53
tion of being deceived in his own manner of reasoning.
This also means "to deceive by fancies" (Lightfoot).
This refers to self-conceit, which Is actually self-
peceit, a sin against common s e n s e . ; , ~ The Amplified
Bible clarifies Galatians 6:3 as follows:
For if any person thinks himself to be somebody
(too important to condescend to shoulder another's
load), when he is a nobody (of superiority except in
his own estimation), he deceives and deludes and
cheats himself.
One of the most common manifestations of self-
deception is displayed in the scapegoat principle. Eve
blamed the serpent in Genesis 3:13b when she stated:
"the serpent beguiled me and I did eat."
Eve rejected personal responsibility for her deci-
sions. Her volition reacted negatively toward the di-
vine prohibition found in Genesis 2: 16, 17:
And God commanded the man, saying, Of every
tree of the garden thou mayestfreely eat: But of the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt
not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof,
thou shalt surely die.
Adam accused both God and Eve in Genesis 3: 12:
"And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to
be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." He
did not want to be accountable for his free choice.
Aaron was also found to be in violation of the
scapegoat principle:
And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax
hot: thou know est the people, that they are set on
54
TWO DECEPTION
mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods,
which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the
man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we
wot not what is become of him (Exodus 32:22,23 ).
Aaron refused to exercise his free will to be a re-
sponsible leader. He blamed the people when he failed
in his appointed task to protect the children of Israel
while Moses was away.
Saul is a distinguished example of this scapegoat
technique. He justified his disobedience to the com-
mand of the Lord to utterly destroy the Amalekites- to
spare nothing and no one:
And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the
voice of the Lord (self-deception), and have gone
the way which the Lord sent me, and have brought
Agag the King of Amalek, and have utterly de-
stroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the
spoil sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which
should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice
unto the Lord their God in Gilgal (I Samuel
15:20,21 ).
For Saul, it seemed a small thing to tell God that the
people were at fault. The believer must always re-
member that the true culprit in these situations is not
the external circumstance that causes his disobedi-
ence, but rather his free will that makes a choice tore-
spond negatively to the command of God. He is per-
sonally responsible for his own soul. Disobedience is
not the result of external circumstances, nor is it there-
sult of someone else's actions and the effects of those
actions on lives. Jesus Christ is the only legitimate
55
scapegoat, because He has extended grace, mercy and
forgiveness to all. He has carried away man's sins into
the "wilderness" as illustrated in Leviticus 16:21,22:
And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head
of the live goat, and confess over him all the in-
iquities of the children of Israel, and all their trans-
gressions and all their sins, putting them upon the
head of the goat, and shall send him away by the
hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat
shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land
not inhabited, and he shall let go the goat in the wil-
derness.
This goat will never return again, just as the be-
liever's sins and iniquities are forever forgotten by
God never to be brought to judgment (Hebrews 8:12;
Micah 7:18).
Deceived by Empty Words
In I Peter 3:8, the Christian is commanded to "Love
as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." "Love"
(philadelphoi- adjective, nominative case) means "to
have relationships governed by doctrinal fellowship in
relation to practical experiences of life."
When believers are not obedient to this command,
they become controlled by soul-power (self-occupa-
tion) in relationships. Two examples of soul-power
relationships are seen in the lives of Demas and Diotro-
phes. Demas was occupied with this present world:
"For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this pres-
ent world" (II Timothy 4:10). Diotrophes was domi-
nated by the desire to have the preeminence: "I wrote
56
TWO DECEPTION
unto the church: but Diotrophes, who loveth to
the preeminence among them, receiveth us
John 9). This causes sentimentality, and
motivates all interaction. These relationships are sus-
tained by personality rapport (appreciation) are
doctrinally oriented.
Let no man deceive you with vain words: be-
cause of these things cometh the wrath of God upon
the children of disobedience (Ephesians
"Deceive" ( apatato) refers to deception
words. It is quite clear that the believer is ........................
manded, in the imperative mood, to stop
action of allowing someone to deceive him
words. The Apostle Paul issued an appeal
ence to this commandment so that a person
ceive the benefit of his obedience. "Blessed are
that do his command1nents, that they might
to the tree of life" (Revelation 22:14a).
It is further commanded in Ephesians 5:7,
therefore, partakers with them." "Be not" denotes
this process of deception has already begun.
sians were actually listening to deceivers.
tive mood indicates a command to immediately
nate relationships with these vain talkers.
Deception, an unpopular subject today, is . . , . . . , A ~ ~ > . A A
mentioned or understood in the majority of ~ . _ . q _ , ... ._LJ
Yet, it is interesting to note that Paul constantly
with the issue in every church he founded. Is it
to think that the Church today has progressed
the Church of Paul's day to such a place where it is not
subject to this kind of deception? Christians must
57
deed recognize the purposes, strategies and methods of
their adversary, the devil, who stands before God ac-
cusing the brethren day and night (Revelation 12:10).
There is another form of self-deception that is
ascribed to the individual who confesses his sin; yet,
has no true repentance (metanoia- change of mind).
There are three distinct examples of this particular
form of self-deception that will be considered, the first
of which Balaam is a perfect example,
And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have
sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way
against me: now, therefore, if it displease thee, I
will get me back again (Numbers 22:34).
False teachers follow in Balaam's footsteps for
they, "have forsaken the right way and are gone
astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,
who loved the wages of unrighteousness" (II Peter
2:15). B alaam never rose above his own natural
reasonings to a point of spirituality. Although he did
make a confession, it can be seen from his practice that
he conformed to this world. He made a confession
without contrition. Peter describes him as a "well with-
out water" (II Peter 3:17a).
Saul exemplified this type of deception when he
said: "I have sinned: for I have transgressed the com-
mandment of the Lord, and thy words: because I
feared the people, and obeyed their voice" (I Samuel
15:24). There was no true sorrow in his attitude,
neither was there a transformation in his life. His con-
fession lacked contrition. Jude 12 aptly describes the
condition of Saul's life:
58
TWO DECEPTION
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they
feast with you, feeding themselves without fear.
Clouds they are without water, carried about of
winds, trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit,
twice dead, plucked up by the roots.
Finally, the words of Judas Iscariot must be consid-
ered:
I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent
blood. And they said, what is that to us? See thou to
that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the
temple and departed and went and hanged himself
(Matthew 27:4, 5).
It is obvious that this confession contained empty
words.
(Ephesians
As part two of this phase progresses, consider the
man who thinks he is religious, and yet is unable to re-
strain his tongue.
If any one thinks himself to be religious -piously
observant of the external duties of his faith - and
does not bridle his tongue, but deludes ( apaton -
deceives) his own heart, this person's religious ser-
vice is worthless, futile and barren (James 1:26,
Amplified).
Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is
more hope of a fool than of him (Proverbs 29:20).
In light of this principle, hear the words of King Sol-
omon,
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart
be hasty to utter anything before God, for God is in
59
heaven and thou upon earth. Therefore, let thy
words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
James comments that,
The tongue [is] a fire. [The tongue is a world of
wickedness, set among our members, contaminat-
and depraving the whole body and setting on
the wheel of birth- the cycle of man's nature-
itself ignited by hell (Gehenna) (James 3:6,
Amplified).
It is necessary to constantly be reminded of Proverbs
: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
contrast to the deceitful tongue, "The tongue of
is as choice silver" (Proverbs 10:20a). Silver
is a representation of redemption. A believer's tongue
to be a constant expression of the redemption
in Jesus Christ. Additionally, Paul exhorts
to have a tongue that speaks of grace:
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your
but that which is good to the use of edifying,
that it may minister grace unto the hearers (Ephe-
sians 4:29 ).
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned
with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer
every man (Colossians 4:5 ).
A Negative Attitude
Further progression of Phase Two is characterized
who are deceived because they possess a dis-
" ' " ~ - - ~ ~ - - ~ , r ~ mental attitude and a hindered capacity for
60
TWO DECEPTION
life. A negative mental attitude is the product of dis-
contentment, frustration and boredom.
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and de-
ceivers (phrenapates- mind deceiver), especially
they of the circumcision. Whose mouths must be
stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching
things they not, for filthy lucre's sake (Titus
1:10,11).
This group was not agreement with the
Paul, nor were they in submission to his ministry.
ruly" suggests they were governed by these
words, instead of the faithful word that they had been
taught in verse nine. The epithet implies that they had
become discontent in their minds and that the "mind
deceiver" had come in. Satan produced a doctrine that
the people accepted for filthy lucre's sake. Paul de-
scribes this as "perverse disputings of men of corrupt
minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is
godliness." And he instructs, "From such '""1'"'"''"/1"
thyself" (I 6:5). Such individuals have
erred from the faith and are devoid of truth.
tentment destroys the mental attitude of love
lationships between husband and wife, parent and
child, congregation and pastor-teacher, and finally,
believer to believer. A close relationship often
comes the object of a person's discontentment, it
lends itself to vulnerability and carelessness with
words, thus availing this form of deception.
"Godliness contentment is great gain" (I
Timothy 6:6). Contentment is an inward attitude that
remains and steadfast no matter
61
outward circumstances become. This contentment is
not drawn from inner and natural resources, but is
learned by the proper, godly response to situations in
life. "Not that I speak in respect of want, for I have
learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be con-
tent" (Philippians 4:11 ).
Phase Three: Party Spirits
After the believer has allowed self-deceit to run its
course in his life, he is then open to unasked-for assis-
tance from the supernatural underworld to continue
this deception and to keep him from the right path.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into the apostles of
Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is trans-
formed into an angel of light (II Corinthians
11:13,14).
These party spirits resemble Satan as an angel of light
(dolo is - minister of righteousness).
This technique of mingling false doctrine with true
doctrine is marked disobedience to II Corinthians 4:2a:
"But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty,
not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of
God deceitfully." rThis activity produces people who
,are extremely sentimental; they have a tremendous
need to be accepted and are vulnerable to flattery. Re-
sponding to this type of stimulation IS 1n duect conflict
with the teachings of Paul: "For our exhortation was
not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile" (I Thes-
salonians 2:3). Deceived believers are led away from
humility and faith-rest.
62
TWO DECEPTION
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things
before, beware lest ye also, being led away (plane
- led away by party spirits from the correct path)
with the error of the wicked, fall from your own
stedfastness (II Peter 3:17).
They are no longer growing in grace, as commanded
in II Peter 3: 18: "But grow in grace and in the knowl-
edge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth se-
crets. Therefore, meddle not with him that flat-
tereth with his lips (Proverbs 20:19).
Conspiratorial leaders deceive others and convince
them to join as well as strengthen their attack against
the local church and its pastor-teacher. As mentioned
before, the empty-minded believer is deceived into
thinking that he is being fulfilled by the flattery, accep-
tance and rapport that he has received.
An illustration of deceit by flattery is found in Prov-
erbs 2:16, 17:
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from
the stranger which flattereth with her words, which
forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the
covenant of her God.
Kittel says that "guide" in this verse is translated didas-
kalia (doctrine). Those with a poor self-image are
63
especially prone to being taken advantage of by party
spirits (because theW ord never really took root in their
souls), and are paired off with those who are proud and
arrogant. Many times, the person who has been previ-
ously unaccepted by human estimation, is for the first
mingling with the "accepted crowd." He is ex-
UvJL.l"-'J' .. ""''" .. """'" pseudo relationships, not genuine fellow-
When a person forsakes the guide (doctrine) of his
all discernment for spiritual things is lost.
that forsake the law (doctrine) praise the
(Proverbs 28:4a). Often, conversation
deceived believers concerns their wounded
and, as Absalom the head conspirator, they will
use this to establish a case against the leadership. It is
interesting to note that the only way a believer can be-
come "wounded" is by listening to talebearers (party
"The words of a talebearer are as wounds,
go down into the innermost parts of the belly"
(Proverbs 18:8). This is why one must always be care-
ful how he hears and what he hears.
Take heed therefore how ye hear: For whosoever
hath, to him shall be given, and whosoever hath
not, from hiin shall be taken, even that which he
seemeth to have (Luke 8:18).
And he said unto them, take heed what ye hear:
with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to
you: and unto you that hear shall more be given
(Mark4:24).
Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God,
and be more ready to hear, than to give the sac-
64
TWO DECEPTION
rifice of fools. they consider not that they do evil
(Ecclesiastes 5:1 ).
Believers need to gird up the loins of their minds
with categorical doctrine (I Peter 1:13), and be
cleansed as by the washing of water by the Word
(Ephesians 5:26). Jesus said: "Now ye are clean
through the which I have spoken unto you"
(John 15:3). Once again, he must remember that vic-
tory in overcoming party spirits requires that the indi-
vidual believer be armed with the specifics of theW ord
of God. The Kingdom of God through the death of
Jesus Christ on the Cross has won the battle against the
specific evil strategies of these invisible spirits.
Phase Four: The Final Blow
Satan lies in wait for the final blow, which he hopes
will produce such far-reaching effects in the believer's
life that he will never recover spiritually. Satan's goal
for every believer is that he be "carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" ( Ephe-
sians 4:14b). This person is "carried about" in doubt
from one opinion to another. These people accuse
others of not thinking for themselves. In fact, they are
constantly governed by the opinions and views of
others, whether it be those of the world, carnal Chris-
tians or their own emotions.
"Wind" ( anemo) connects emptiness and variability
in teaching (didaskalias- dative). The dative of disad-
vantage is used here because the believer who con-
tinues in this will be permanently disadvantaged for
65
the rest of his life. He is left susceptible to any and
every false teaching that one can imagine.
"In the sleight of men" is translated en te kubeia ton
anthropon. "Sleight" (kubeia) refers to the deception
that dice players used when they cheated and de-
frauded their fellow players. The pleasures of sin may
last for a season, but sooner or later these deceivers
will attack and tum against the very ones who were led
astray by their false teachings.
- "Lie in wait" (methodeian) literally means to fol-
low-u or investigate by a method or settled plan. This
.,.progression of deceit in the e tever' s life will lead to
Jotal rebellion. He becomes completely rooted in de-
. e is
,likely he will fall prey to sensuality in one extre!fle, or
e alism on the other. He is now actually living in false
doctrine, in tso e tence to II Corinthians 4:2:
But have renounced the hidden things of dis-
honesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the
Word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of
the truth commending ourselves to every man's
conscience in the sight of God .
..."Deceitfully" ( doloo) means that h_e has l l e c o l l l ~ ~
LUJ2ted by mingling the truths of the Word of God with
false doctrines or notions, thereby handling the Word
.of God deceitfully. He will return to the weakness of
his flesh (II Peter 2:22), and his latter end is worse than
his beginning (II Peter 2:20).
Such believers choose to live in human goodness, as
66
TWO DECEPTION
opposed to human evil. They will still receive common
grace for their natural gifts in this life, but will notre-
ceive rewards in heaven. The fruit of their lives will be
wood, hay and stubble when they appear at the Bema
Seat to meet the Lord (I Corinthians 3:12).
67
CHAPTER
III
Deliverance From
Deception
There is hope for the believer who has been de-
ceived if he will follow these steps:
1. Be honest regarding what has been done, and
agree that it is siq. "If we confess our sin, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sin" (I John 1 :9). The be-
liever is to name the sin specifically. "Confess" is the
Greek word homologomen, which means "to agree
with assent, to admit or declare oneself guilty of what
one is accused of as the result of inward conviction by
the Holy Spirit."
2. The believer must repent, forsake and admit this
deception as sin. "Repent" (metanoia), according to
Thayer, is referring to the change of mind in those who
68
TWO DECEPTION
have begun to abhor their errors and misdeeds, and
have determined to enter upon a better course of life by
God's grace.
Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance
(Matthew 3:8).
Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks
repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord
Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21 ).
3. The Christian should then proceed to take in a
"crash diet" of Bible doctrine in the Spirit of life.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a work-
man that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly divid-
ing the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15).
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wis-
dom; teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord (Colossians 3:16).
As he takes in the Word, it will add divine charac-
teristics to his life. "To an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for you" (II Peter 1 :4).
4. Develop an attitude of child-like faith.
"Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this
little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of
heaven" (Matthew 18:3,4 ).
) . It is necessary to have an attituc!_e of submissio11,
towards
rotally humble. This lS an Important key.
Thy word is very pure; therefore thy servant loveth
it (Psalm 119:140).
69
Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity
have dominion over me (Psalm 119:13 3).
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of
God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to
wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre (Titus
1 :7).
Remember them which have rule over you, who
have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith
follow, considering the end of their conversation
(Hebrews 13:7).
Obey them that have rule over you, and submit
yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they
that must give account, that they may do it with joy,
and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you
(Hebrews 13:17).
6. The believer is to function in faith, always re-
membering that "Without faith it is impossible to
please God" (Hebrews 11 :6). "We walk by faith, and
not by sight" (II Corinthians 5:7). "This is how the
righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith"
(Romans 1 :17).
Obedience to these steps, as stated above, will result
in experiencing the Scriptures as the Word of grace,
and will enable Christians to experience their inheri-
tance (Acts 20:32). The Word of God heals and deliv-
ers the believer (Psalm 107:20), and causes his soul to
prosper (Ill John 2b).
For they (the words of God) are life unto those that
find them and health to all their flesh (Proverbs
4:22).
70
TWO DECEPTION
And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of
thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the
Lord is his treasure (Isaiah 33:6).
In summary, it is Jesus Who delivers Christians
from evil. They must receive the Word of God, line
upon line, and precept upon precept (Isaiah 28:10),
and honor His Word, esteeming it more ~ i g h l y than
their necessary food (Job 23:12). God, through the
blood of Christ, removes all the wounds and bruises of
sin- dead works in the conscience (Hebrews 9:14).
-Believers can receive wisdom (the application of
knowledge) from the doctrine. "As ye have therefore re-
ceived Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him" (Co-
lossians 2:6). They are to walk, as dear children, in the
mental attitude of love (agape)( Ephesians 5:2).
Satan does not want believers to be free from decep-
tion; therefore, the child of God must deal with this
risk of deception at all times. The immutable Word of
God is the believer's shield as he learns to "be filled
(constantly) with the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18b).
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not
fulfill the lusts of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16). Re-
member what Jesus said: "If ye know these things (and
you do), happy are ye ifye do them" (John 13:17).
71
STAGE
, ............... IHREE
Conspiracy
CHAPTER
I
A Biblical Definition
Of Conspiracy
The word "conspiracy" comes from a Latin word
conspirare, which means "to breathe together, to con-
spire circumstances." Conspiracy is a plotting of mis-
chief, and a gathering together of forces by Satan to
frustrate, defeat and minimize the capacity for produc-
tivity in the Christian service of a local assembly, a
pastor-teacher, or a group of believers. It is a united
effort to promote one's own selfish interest, to pre-
serve one's own reputation and to defend one's life-
style. It enables a believer to be sustained in his at-
titude of indifference toward a ministry of God, or any
type of organization.
In Genesis 37:18, Joseph's brothers "conspired
74
THREE CONSPIRACY
against him to slay him." The word "conspired" is the
Hebrew word nakal, which means "to defraud, act
treacherously, to beguile or to cheat." Conspiracy is
mentioned again in Numbers 16:3, in reference to
Korah and the 250 princes of the assembly who
"gathered themselves together against Moses and
against Aaron." Quahal is the Hebrew word for
"gathered." It means that they called together an as-
sembly to breathe out a threat against Moses and
Aaron.
Biblical References To Conspiracy
Psalm 36:4a says that the wicked man "deviseth
mischief upon his bed." The word "deviseth" is
chashab, which means "to plot with great mental ac-
tivity and to study the situation through communica-
tion of thinking." Psalm 37:12 states, "The wicked
plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with
his teeth." The word "plotteth" is zamam, which
means "to devise, to consider with the mind, and then,
to plan with a purpose." Conspiracy involves the con-
tinuous evil of sowing discord. In Proverbs 6:14, a
wicked man "soweth discord." The Hebrew word
shalach is used here, meaning "to sow discord" or "to
send, throw, or spread on purpose, by working dili-
gently until the attack has been widespread with a
program of discord against an individual or a group."
In Isaiah 32:7b, conspiracy is referred to as "lying
words." "He deviseth wicked devices to destroy the
poor with lying words." This speaks of using human
good in order to accomplish a plan against divine
good. "Lying words" is the word sheger in Hebrew,
75
which means "to resolve, to give counsel with dogmat-
ic proposal."
In Daniel 6:4a, the Word of God says, "the presi-
dents and princes sought to find occasion against
Daniel." The word "sought" is baah in Hebrew, and it
means "to gush over, to swell, to seek out with careful
attention any information to hurt someone." Imagine
how many people today have done that against their
Christian leaders!
It is recorded in Acts 23: 12 that certain Jews
"banded together" against Paul, bound themselves
under a curse and determined not to eat or drink until
they had killed him. The words "banded together"
come from the word sustrophen in the Greek, which
means "a secret coalition, a twisting together." The
principle of placing themselves under a curse is
brought out by examining the word anathema. It is the
word for "curse," which means "to declare a vow
under a penalty, to bind with an oath." This example il-
lustrates that there is a system of evil behind ungodly
conspiracies.
In summary, the words presented here are part of the
background that is vital in understanding the subject of
conspiracy.
Conspiracy Violates the Word of God
A person must first be the object of a conspiracy to
thoroughly understand it. It is a tragic thing when a
pastor-teacher trains people in the Word, invests in
their lives and, after several years of serving God with
them, he is secretly conspired against by members of
his congregation. These people violate the doctrines of
76
THREE CONSPIRACY
love (John 13:34), faith (Hebrews 11:6), grace (I
Peter 4:10; John 1 :16), the honor code (Romans
12:10), the royal family (I Peter 2:5), nobility (Acts
17:11 ), integrity (Psalm 26:1 ), reconciliation (II
Corinthians 5:19), privacy (Romans 14:4), edification
(Ephesians 4:29) and the corporate body (Ephesians
1 :23; Colossians 2:2). When believers know these
principles, but act as though they do not exist, they
defy the Word of God. No pastor or congregation is
perfect, and they should be willing to accept correction
when in error. Of course, this correction must be done
in love and in scriptural order.
Wrong Motives- The Breeding Ground
For Conspiracy
Many Christians have the wrong ambition for going
to church. They may need friendship or help in rearing
up their children. These believers may even attend for
the social aspect. They want to become involved in
programs, but do not come to obey the Word of God. A
Spirit-filled person will humble himself before God,
submit to God's Word, take up his cross (Luke 9:23)
and trust God for opportunities to glorify Christ. One
way for him to do this is to have a positive attitude in
quietness and patience (Isaiah 30:15b ), while in the
transition of God's plan for his life. A believer should
not allow bitterness, negativity or rebellion to enter his
heart because over a period of time these things will ac-
cumulate within his soul. For a while, these attitudes
will be subdued or hidden, but when enough people
have a backlog of subjectivity in their souls, bitterness
may eventually develop into a full-fledged conspiracy.
77
One must remember that bonafide conspiracies do
take place within certain organizations for the purpose
of protecting personal freedom, privacy of individual
rights and the national entity. These conspiracies are
formed for a righteous cause; they protect the rights of
people to live and make their own decisions.
78
CHAPTER
II
Who is a Candidate
For Conspiracy?
Their heart is divided; now shall they be found
faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall
spoil their images (Hosea 10:2).
In order for a conspiracy to prosper, certain condi-
tions must be present. One of the most significant
characteristics of a conspiracy is that it always attracts
those who have a divided heart. Such people are double-
minded (James 1 :8) and do not have a single eye to-
ward Jesus Christ (Matthew6:22). They are often more
occupied with the cares of this life (Matthew 13:22)
than with those things that are eternal (II Corinthians
4:18).
79
Believers who lack categorical doctrine (how to
think with God) are vulnerable to being deceived into a
conspiracy. Hosea 4:6a says, "My people are de-
stroyed for lack of knowledge." These individuals do
not hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6)
and, therefore, have never taken the time to become
thoroughly grounded in the Word of God. They enjoy
the Bible, generally in a devotional way, but do not
learn to exercise their faculties in developing "spiritual
muscles" (Hebrews 5:11-14 ).
Committed vs. Noncommitted Believers
Conspiracies begin when people devise mischief,
sow discord and take advantage of those who do not
have Bible doctrine as their basis for wisdom in day-
by-day living. Many times, the candidates .for a
conspiracy are not living for the cause of Chr1st. In
Matthew 12:30, for example, Jesus said, "He that is
not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not
with me scattereth abroad." In other words, there are
two classes of people: those who function experien-
tially in the local assembly and have given their i v ~ s ~ o
Him, and those who merely go to church when 1t 1s
convenient. The latter may be saved, and by the grace
of God will go to heaven when they die, but they have
not given their whole hearts to Jesus Christ.
In contrast, the committed group of Christians are
willing to lose their lives for Christ's sake (Matthew
10:39), and they faithfully gather together with the
pastor and the local assembly of believers (Hebrews
10:25). Those who have totally given their lives to
Christ will win souls, build up the local expression of
80
THREE CONSPIRACY
the body of Christ and complement the Church of
Christ.
Candidates For Deception
Many people attend church, but they continue to live
according to natural preference. They have no concept
of laying down their lives for the sake of others. Since
they are not motivated by God's love, these believers
do not practice humility or submission to the Word of
God (Proverbs 5:6). They are not steadfast and im-
movable, nor are they consistent in growing in pure
grace in a local assembly, which makes up a part of the
church of Christ. Every evangelical church has people
who fall into this category. When this type of believer
attends church, he listens with a proud attitude. Here-
ceives precise light from the Word of God, but he
makes the truth abstract so that he is not accountable to
apply it. This person does not mix faith with what he
hears, and does not let scriptural truth lead him into
specific obedience in the details of his life. Remember,
Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me; and
he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad"
(Matthew 12:30).
The Effect of Negative Volition
Toward the Word of God:
Passivity
When a Christian chooses negatively toward an op-
portunity to grow in Christ, he may end up in passivity,
self-orientation, pride or reaction. He is motivated by
inward guilt, which is often manifested in outward in-
activity. The Holy Spirit will always be faithful to con-
81
viet the passive person about his passivity (John 16:7-
9), but because of his negative attitude, the conviction
produces guilt in his life. The pastor does not inflict
this on him, rather the believer feels guilty because he
is not obeying theW ord of God that was preached. The
devil takes advantage of this person and makes him
feel condemned. Condemnation is a method that Satan
uses consistently on passive Christians. Many can en-
dure this for a long period of time, but eventually they
cannot handle the guilt anymore, and they must blame
someone for their condition. Because they are looking
for a scapegoat, these believers are excellent candi-
dates for a conspiracy.
Many people try to fight passivity. They blame their
apathy on physical exhaustion, even when there is no
apparent cause for it. They claim to be burned out and
blame it on the church; actually, they are living in the
energy of the flesh, and are being disciplined by God
(Jeremiah 30:14-17).
Who is Involved in a Conspiracy?
There are six categories of people who become in-
volved in conspiracies. First, of course, someone must
be the mastermind to plan out the conspiracy. Ab-
salom, Diotrephes and Judas are just a few scriptural
examples of conspiracy leaders. The leader's motive is
usually self-justification. He needs to appease an al-
ready heavy guilt syndrome that has submerged into
the unconscious mind and remains there until it be-
comes outwardly destructive. The leader devises his
attack in order to ease this tormenting guilt.
Second, there are the "plotters," or those whose
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THREE CONSPIRACY
souls are void of the Word of God. Many times these
"plotters," who scheme against God's people, are
reacting against true conviction from God. They deal
with the situation by rebellion. The object of their
attack is the messenger who taught them God's Word,
and brought in the conviction. This, of course, is the
pastor because he is the one whom God has gifted for
preaching the Word (Ephesians 4:11 ). The con-
spirators despise the man of God. They have an atti-
tude of implacability, hatred, resentment and bitter-
ness toward him. Quite often, they hate him without a
cause (John 15:25b). They seek to destroy his reputa-
tion so that others will not trust his message.
This is never to imply that the pastor is perfect or
without blame, for he is a sinner saved by grace. How-
ever, the office of the pastor-teacher is currently perse-
cuted more than any other office on the earth. Why?
Because the godly pastor preaches the Word of God,
which God esteems higher than His name (Psalm
13 8:2). In an organized way, the conspirators attempt
to gather together all those who falsely agree that the
pastor is not teaching the Word of God. The longer
they live in self-deception and vain imaginations (II
Corinthians 10:5), the more severe the results will be
as far as external activity against people is concerned.
It picks up in great momentum as time progresses.
These troublemakers take their revenge on the pastors
and gain supporters by taking advantage of gullible
people in the congregation who do not have stable
emotions.
These naive believers comprise the third group that
becomes involved in a conspiracy. They are duped into
83
believing a lie against the pastor. These victims do not
understand the doctrine of internal conspiracy (which
will be explained in detail in the next chapter). They
have not grasped the full meaning of the cross in their
lives, nor do they comprehend categorical doctrine or
their roles as believer-priests (/Peter 2:5-9). These
Christians are born again and go to church, but they are
very weak in their faith. Who is a victim of conspir-
acy? The answer is: anyone who lacks a strong re-
lationship with Jesus Christ and, therefore, looks for
security in a relationship with another person. He is in
desperate need of a friend and will pay any price to
have one. Of course, the plotter who leads this believer
into a conspiracy is not a true friend, but he will appear
to befriend the simple-minded one in order to win him
over to the plan. The fourth class of conspirators is
made up of those who want revenge because other be-
lievers were used to discipline them, and they did not
like it. One example of this is a pastor who finds that a
particular believer is living in immorality. In response,
the pastor tells him privately and in love to repent and
tum away from his immorality. But rather than heed
the Word of God delivered to him by his pastor-
teacher, this Christian becomes angry. Secretly he
continues in his sin, attends another church and is not
honest about why he left the church. He becomes are-
bellious child as described in the following verse:
Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that
take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a
covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin
to sin (Isaiah 30:1 ).
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THREE CONSPIRACY
This believer proceeds to spread rumors and slander
the pastor of his previous church in an effort to tum
other churches against him. He uses the pastor's disen-
chanted enemies to promote his cause. His sole motive
is revenge because his sin was exposed.
The fifth group consists of those whose emotions
have been injured over a number of years because of
bad experiences in the past. The leaders of the conspir-
acy, who at one time would not give a person a mo-
ment's attention, will pay special heed to those who
have weak emotions. For the first time, the schemer
will treat the frail one kindly. People with wounded
emotions are unable to respond to truth and, therefore,
are easy prey to the leaders of the conspiracy. The con-
spirator convinces the weaker members that the teach-
ing of the church is not helping them. The leaders of the
plan give these people hope simply by befriending
them. Since the weaker members are in need of love,
they respond to what appears to be positive initiation
toward them. But, in reality, they are being deceived.
Finally, there is a sixth type of individual who is
often involved in a conspiracy -the contrived intellec-
tual. He has a sophisticated vocabulary and communi-
cates well. He is intelligent, gifted and develops his tal-
ents. Everyone speaks highly of him, but actually, he is
extremely superficial. Such a person might plagiarize
his vocabulary from different sources and take the
credit for their work without giving them recognition.
The contrived intellectual is a candidate for a conspir-
acy because he is esteemed for his brilliant mind. The
truth is that he is full of arrogance, haughtiness and
pride. Satan is the author of pride, the same sin which
85
caused God to cast him out of heaven. Pride motivates
this person to "fall into the condemnation of the devil"
(/Timothy 3:6). The pseudo-intellectual draws out the
emotionally weak. He builds them up, motivated by
self-advantage. His goal is to win them over, so that a
large number will turn against the pastor in order to at-
tack the church.
Most conspiracies will be composed of people who
fall into these six categories, through which Satan
works to try to take away the freedom of the individual
to serve before God. He attempts to destroy the family
unit so that it will be prevented from functioning freely
with God. Conspiracies first affect the individual, then
move into the family, the church, and finally, the na-
tional entity.
86
CHAPTER
III
Internal Conspiracy
Internal conspiracies take place after the heart is de-
ceived. As this occurs, the believer's capacity for re-
ceiving truth decreases. It is very important for a per-
son to specifically discern an internal conspiracy, and
to prevent it from overtaking his life. Internal conspir-
acy is defined as, "a conspiracy in which the emotions
conspire against the mind." The initial stages are based
upon the premise that the human heart is depraved and
is incapable of thinking with God.
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desper-
ately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search
the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man ac-
cording to his ways, and according to the fruit of
his doings (Jeremiah I7:9, IO).
87
. As the process of internal conspiracy begins, the be-
liever's conscience first becomes weakened and later
distorted or seared. The conscience is the of
soul that bears witness to God's perfect standard ofholi-
As a person is deceived, he can no longer relate to
this standard. He begins to lose control over past con-
victions that he has learned from the Word of God he
will himself. by saying that he is "growing
"'! et: he IS not matunng at all; instead, this person is liv-
Ing In compromise. "Whichforsaketh the guide of her
youth, andforgetteth the covenant of her God" (Prov-
2:17). This happens periodically in godly minis-
tnes that stay true to the Word of God. This may take
place on a large scale, or it may affect only a small
group within the church. Any fruitful ministry will
have .this type of conspiracy go on in its midst among
certain groups of people who attend its church.
The that usually becomes involved in this type
of conspiracy is the one in which its members discover
a new lifestyle that is contrary to theW ord of God and
find it to be entertaining. They will always
people to preserve their rights and personal freedom.
What they are advocating is not biblical freedom; it is
not based upon the finished work of Jesus Christ at Cal-
vary. It violates love and sacrifice for the benefit of the
weak. They are deceived as they continue to be "free."
Some Christians secretly enjoy this, and do not realize
that the area in which they are experiencing liberty is
ac.tually cut off from reality. Eventually, the person
will be completely deceived in that area of his life.
Internal conspiracy may result in the ruin of a fam-
ily, friendship or church. It has the potential to destroy
88
THREE CONSPIRACY
a believer's career or calling. Satanic forces "breathe
together" to inhibit a person's capacity for God, for
grace, for love and for an eternal purpose. This prin-
ciple, which occurs through self-deception, is the
worst spiritual dilemma that an individual can ever ex-
perience. It upsets a person's emotional patterns de-
signed to appreciate or respond to truth, and causes
him to become negative.
Symptoms of Internal Conspiracy
Usually, one can quickly determine whether a per-
son is experiencing an internal conspiracy. One
symptom may be that he is unable to laugh at a humor-
ous situation. He seldom smiles, and when he does, it
is a forced expression. He is an unhappy person who
faces life with tension. He may attempt to hide his in-
ward pressure, but he suffers tremendous internal tur-
moil. An internal conspiracy is beginning to overtake
his soul, yet he is unaware of it. He has given in to self-
deception, but it remains undefined. Eventually, all
the light that he has received from the Word of God
will become darkness. He will refer to God's truth as
something he used to believe. As a result, his soul is
paralyzed. Matthew 6:22, 23 reveals this principle:
The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine
eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full
of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be
darkness, how great is that darkness!
When a believer's heart is not single toward God, his
conscience will begin to become distorted. When light
89
enters his mind and begins to correct him as he strays
from God's Word, this person will rationalize away
the truth as it is revealed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit will always try to return the Christian to fellow-
ship with Christ, to save him from the many problems
that he will suffer as a result of this type of conspiracy.
This chapter does not deal with outward conspiracies,
but rather with an internal conspiracy that attempts to
destroy the Christian's life from within.
Another symptom occurs when a believer hears the
Word of God, but does not put it into practice. He ex-
cuses himself with a provision that he is an individual
with a unique personality. He may hear Bible doctrine,
study and exegete verses, but he does not act upon
what he has learned (James 1 :22). When a believer
knows what the Word of God says, yet does not carry it
out in his life (Ephesians 4:1-6), this is an indication
that he is in a process of self-deception. He may know
the doctrine and the Hebrew or Greek meaning of each
word, but if he fails to appropriate it in life's situations,
then he is in error. He makes excuses for not applying
the Word, and becomes like the foolish man in the fol-
lowing verses:
And every one that heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish
man, which built his house upon the sand: And the
rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds
blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and
great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:26, 27).
A third symptom of internal conspiracy is when a
Christian does not recognize the importance of the
90
THREE CONSPIRACY
Church of Christ. He does not esteem its members better
than himself (Philippians 2:3). He does not realize the
sacredness that when two or three are gathered to-
gether in Christ's name, Christ will be in their midst
(Matthew 18:20). Simply stated, he does not think it is
significant to fellowship with other believers. When
this happens, deception is already at work in the local
assembly. The believer who falls for this deceitfulness
cannot experience the beauty of the Christian assembly
as the fullness of Christ on earth.
And hath put all things under his (Christ's) feet,
and gave him to be the head over all things to the
church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that
filleth all in all (Ephesians 1 :22, 23).
Not only is the body of believers the fullness of Jesus
Christ, but also, God's people should be willing to suf-
fer for His sake.
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill
up that which is behind of the afflictions ofChrist in
my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church
(Colossians 1 :24).
Believers should submit to one another. "Submitting
yourselves one to another in the fear of God" (Ephe-
sians 5:21 ). When they speak, they should minister
grace to the hearer (Ephesians 4:29), and build others
up into a "spiritual house" (I Peter 2:5 ).
The Process of Self-Deception
One involved in an internal conspiracy will hear the
instructions from God's Word, but will not obey them.
91
"And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and
doeth them not, shall be likened unto the foolish man,
which built his house upon the sand" (Matthew 7:26).
He is unable to respond to truth because deception has
already done its work. This person always uses an or-
ganized presentation to defend his position. It will be
put together with a precise vocabulary, since all mis-
representation is characterized by smooth, premedi-
tated, organized rhetoric. It is vital to understand that
the person who constantly ignores a particular truth
cannot be convicted by God in that area, because the
conscience is distorted and is in the process of being
rendered useless. Again, since the individual has been
making decisions that are contrary to the Word of God,
the light he received has turned into darkness.
People who cannot forgive may develop a conspir-
acy inside their souls. Their minds give them objective
truth through the Scriptures, but their emotions over-
rule the mind. As a result, these believers refuse to
respond to the precise light of the Word of God. Con-
sequently, an internal conspiracy destroys their emo-
tions, as well as their capacity to respond to and ap-
preciate truth.
An individual Who is experiencing an internal con-
spiracy will always have a negative confession toward
circumstances and people. He never speaks of the
many blessings that God has given His church, nor
does he mention the souls that have been saved. His
conversation does not edify the hearer, because he is
occupied with self-preservation rather than with the
cause of Jesus Christ "to seek and to save that which
was lost" (Luke 19:10). Since this person lacks truth
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THREE CONSPIRACY
from the Word of God, he dwells on the errors of
others, and he does not appreciate anything that God
has given him. His capacity to appreciate the blessings
of God has been destroyed because he has cultivated a
negative attitude. Some Christians become very famil-
iar with their local assembly and take it for granted,
which results in a lack of respect for other believers.
The self-deceived person allows himself to be mis-
led! "For if a man think himself to be something, when
he is nothing, he deceiveth himself' (Galatians 6:3 ).
This verse becomes his discernment. Isaiah 5:20 says,
"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that
put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put
bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!"
It is important to note that an internal conspiracy al-
most always takes place before any external conspir-
acy ever occurs. The emotions conspire against the
mind, causing a person to become unstable (James
1 :8). This process may be expressed in abnormal or
anxious behavior, but most often there are not outward
manifestations of self-deception.
93
CHAPTER
IV
Conspiracies Against
A Pastor-Teacher
A Pastor-Teacher Must Teach
The Whole Counsel of God
In this section, Jeremiah 26 and II Corinthians 11
will be examined, which describe conspiracies against
a pastor-teacher. A conspiracy may be instigated by
church members who hold secret meetings in the guise
of helping people and improving the local assembly.
They may make statements like the following: "The
pastor will not accept our viewpoint and he needs our
help" or "our only motive is to save the church. We're
just doing this because we love the pastor." These
things are said under the pretense of preserving church
94
THREE CONSPIRACY
unity, when in reality, conspiratorial evil is in its initial
stages to divide, cast suspicion on, and destroy the as-
sembly, and to promote the conspirators.
The first sign of a scheme against a pastor-teacher is
seen in principle and practical application when the
people involved do not hear the Word of God (I Thes-
salonians 2:13). This principle is seen in the following
passage:
Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lord's
house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which
come to worship in the Lord's house, all the words
that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish
not a word: If so be they will hearken and turn every
man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the
evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the
evil of their doings. And thou shalt say unto them,
Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to
walk in my law, which! have set before you, to heark-
en to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I
sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending
them, but ye have not hearkened (Jeremiah 26:2-5).
Therefore, the first principle is that a pastor-teacher
must preach with conviction. Remember, the pastor is
by no means infallible; he is a sinner saved by grace.
He is never to diminish the Word of God, though it
may make the congregation angry, or though the
people may think his teaching is not from God. Here is
the process: When the pastor preaches a difficult and
convicting message, the congregation n1ay join to-
gether and determine that it is a "hard saying" (John
6:60). The people may accuse the pastor-teacher of
preaching from his own personality and personal view-
95
point. Some may be guilty of this, but the average pas-
tor does not think this way at all. The truth is that his
teaching is from the Bible, in principle as well as in re-
ference to specific verses. God has commanded the
pastor to preach in and out of season, never softening
the message to preserve the old sin nature.
Herald and preach the Word! keep your sense of
urgency (stand by, be at hand and ready, whether
the opportunity seems to be favorable or unfavora-
ble, whether it is convenient or inconvenient,
whether it be welcome or unwelcome, you as
preacher of the Word are to show people in what
way their lives are wrong) and convince them, re-
buking and correcting, warning and urging and en-
couraging them, being unflagging and inexhausti-
ble in patience and teaching (II Timothy 4:2,
Amplified).
At times, a congregation may begin to dictate to the
pulpit what should be taught because the people want
to hear soft sayings. In other words, the assembly of
believers may ask for messages on grace, love, joy,
blessings, etc.- all positive topics. These people love
non-convicting messages; they hate any message that
rebukes their old sin nature (Romans 6:6). They want
the pastor to take away from theW ord by not mention-
ing prohibitions, and to edify the body according to
their conditional desires. Such believers deny the fact
that all of the Word of God is for their benefit. Their
minds and emotions are in a conflict in their souls, and
because of negativity toward the Word, they allow
their feelings to dominate them. This signifies that at
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THREE CONSPIRACY
some point they were lured from scriptural truth and
can no longer face conviction. They want to dilute the
Word of God.
Every pastor should preach the truth in love ( Ephe-
sians 4:15), but teach the whole counsel of God (Acts
20:27). Love and grace must be taught in the balance.
"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with
salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every
man" (Colossians 4:6). But, once again, the whole
counsel of God must be taught and never be di-
minished to spare an individual's flesh.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness: That the man of
God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good works (II Timothy 3:16, 17).
In Jeremiah 26:8 and 9, the Word of God says:
Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an
end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded
him to speak unto all the people, that the priests
and the prophets and all the people took him, say-
ing, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou
prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This
house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be des-
olate without an inhabitant? And all the people
were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the
Lord.
These verses depict a conspiracy against a spiritual
leader. How many people gathered against him?
Everyone rebelled against him. What does this mean?
When these verses are studied carefully, it is dis-
97
covered that the religious group, as well as his own
family and friends, conspired against him. Jeremiah
preached a negative message about judgment that the
people hated. They were in a state of emotional rebel-
lion.
A conspiracy against a pastor-teacher is recorded in
II Corinthians 11. Paul was being charged with every
possible accusation. In Thessalonica, he was accused
of sensual sin. In Corinth, he was blamed for being au-
thoritarian. Paul did not defend himself; he simply
made a statement and communicated the truth. Com-
munication does not mean defense; rather, it means to
rest one's case by stating the truth through facts. When
Paul taught the Word of God, he made each believer
responsible for what he heard. They were forced into
choosing to believe or reject him, and their decisions
would determine their future with God. A pastor does
not have to defend himself; he must be a tremendous
fighter who is not swayed by the opinions of men or
their inability to accept truth. He must teach in such a
way to make people responsible for hearing the Word
of God. Paul shared the Gospel in order to make the
people at Corinth accountable to the Scriptures. Paul
had not violated the Word of God, therefore, he had
nothing to defend.
II Corinthians 11 :5-7 reveals that Paul was a victim
of a conspiracy:
For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very
chief est apostles. But though I be rude in speech,
yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly
made manifest among you in all things. Have I
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THREE CONSPIRACY
committed an offence in abasing myself that ye
might be exalted, because I have preached to you
the gospel of God freely?
Today, some believers cannot stand the hardness of
truth. They become upset with the pastor-teacher who
is merely the vessel who proclaims the Word of God.
They accuse him of defending himself, when he is
communicating what the Bible says in a situation. Paul
simply knew who he was in the Kingdom of God.
Since he was a true servant of God, he had to preach
the truth. A vital principle is being taught in II Corin-
thians 11 :6a, "But though I be rude in speech, yet not
in knowledge." In other words, Paul is saying, "I know
doctrine, but I am not going to curtail or regulate it for
your convenience."
Though Paul's ministry was made manifest among
the populace of believers in every area, it still was not
appreciated by many. Believers constantly conspired
against Paul. Many plotted together to destroy the
ministry that God had given him. There are those who
do not believe that conspiracies happen to pastors
today. They should ask themselves these questions:
Do you believe that Christians wrestle not against prin-
cipalities and powers, etc ... . (Ephesians 6:12)? Does
the devil know that he has but a short time (Revelation
12:11,12)? Is he seeking whom he may devour (I
Peter 5:8)? Did he use Job's friends to accuse Job? Are
there any modem day Diotrephes in today's churches?
I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who
loveth to have the preeminence among them, re-
ceiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will re-
99
member his deeds which he doeth, prating against
us with malicious words: and not content there-
with, neither doth he himself receive the brethren,
and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them
out of the church (Ill John 9-10).
Obviously, Satan will use this strategy against any
fruitful servant of God who is occupied with his
Father's business. There are definitely supernatural
causes for conspiracies that will be discussed in the
next chapter. Christians are not to be overly occupied
with the devil and his strategies, yet they must know
that the Bible teaches:
Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour; Whom resist steadfast in the
faith, knowing that the same afflictions are ac-
complished in your brethren that are in the world
(I Peter 5:8-9).
The word for accomplished, epiteleo, means that
something is executed cornpletely, and that basically
the same strategy is used against anyone who preaches
the Word of God and lays down his life for the people
of his church.
100
CHAPTER
v
Supernatural Causes
For Conspiracy
We Wrestle Not Against Flesh And Blood
This chapter will cover the subject of supernatural
causes for conspiracy. These present days are ex-
tremely vital for training in the spiritual warfare that is
taking place between God and His heavenly hosts, and
Satan and his fallen angels. This warfare, composed of
intricate strategies, occurs in the invisible atmosphere,
but the results of this unseen war are manifested visibly
in people's lives. Therefore, believers should train and
prepare their weapons of warfare.
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, ac-
cording to the prophecies which went before on
101
thee, that thou by them mightest war a good war-
fare (I Timothy 1 :18).
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after
the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down
of strongholds) (II Corinthians 10:3,4).
One of the most crucial lessons a Christian must
learn is this: "Study to shew thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15).
Many times the average listener who attends church
Sunday morning is no more prepared to fight the battle
that exists in the atmosphere than a layman would be to
fight in a military battle. The Word of God warns the
believer to prepare himself to stand against the enemy:
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the
rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12).
Everyone should be aware of the invisible warfare.
This does not include only pastors, elders and deacons,
but mothers, fathers, teenagers and children as well.
Though "we wrestle not against flesh and blood,"
many of the battles that Christians face are dealt with su-
perficially. They treat situations as issues of knowl-
edge rather than results of a supernatural conflict be-
cause they do not have an understanding of what is tak-
ing place. Believers must learn to be wise in handling
every circumstance.
In II Corinthians 4:4, the Word of God says that
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THREE CONSPIRACY
Satan is the god of this world's order. First, Satan at-
tempts to destroy the preeminence of Christ in the
Christian's heart (Colossians 1 :18). Second, he tries to
take over the believer's heart as his throne. He carries
out his tactics by assassinating characters (John 8:44),
by accusing the church and the brethren from morning
until evening (Revelation 12:10), and by propagating
evil reports to discredit God's messengers (Psalm 64;
Proverbs 6:17, 18). He accomplishes this through a
confederation of order described in Matthew 12:24. In
this verse, the Pharisees accused Jesus Christ of deriv-
ing His power from Satan's kingdom. "This fellow
doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of
the devils." Satan's system of evil is also described in
I John 5: 19b, "And the whole world lieth in wicked-
ness." Precisely, this means that the whole world sys-
tem lies in the order of Satan's confederation.
Satan's Strategies
Whenever possible, Satan will make a person proud
and arrogant. If there is one thing that robs the believer
of the fullness of the Christian life, it is a lack of humil-
ity. A proud attitude and ignorance of categorical doc-
trine prevent the child of God from growing into
spiritual maturity.
Satan will attempt to coerce the believer into choos-
ing the wrong pastor-teacher or into having no pastor-
teacher at all. Christianity involves an urgent calling
and a tremendous responsibility to spread the Gospel
throughout the world, but Satan attempts to attack a be-
liever's emotions until he has little spiritual intelligence.
The prince of this world influences people to think
103
based on how they feel so that they will never think ob-
jectively with the Word of God. Often, believers fall
right into this trap using rationalistic excuses to justify
their subjectivity. Also, Satan takes the non-emotional
person, and makes him so egotistical that he becomes
very careless in his remarks to others- this person lives
in demonically-influenced intellectual pride.
It is absolutely true: Demons do exist! There are evil
spirits of pride and arrogance. Satan's purpose is to di-
vide the church so that it will not propagate the Gospel.
He attempts to discredit the messengers of the Word of
God so the congregation will not hear the truth. Satan
will search out someone who does not like the pastor's
personality or who will find fault with the messages.
Meanwhile, these accusations have nothing to do with
the pastor's commission to preach the Word of God in
and out of season (II Timothy 4:2). By causing distrust
for the messenger, Satan gives believers reasons not to
hear what is being taught. It is important to take note of
this strategy. Satan divides the church so that it will
be occupied with its differences, rather than with the
propagation of the Gospel.
In addition to these tactics, Satan tries to weaken the
pastor's God-given authority in the pulpit, so that the
pastor will not preach the whole counsel of God. He in-
fluences the pastor to preach messages that tickle the
ear, but do not bring in conviction in order to transform
lives. The preacher soon becomes passive and content
in giving positive sermons that pamper his congrega-
tion's flesh, without igniting their hearts to lay down
their lives for each other and the lost (I John 3:14).
Regardless of the price he must pay to preach the
104
THREE CONSPIRACY
truth, a man who is committed to Jesus Christ will
speak exactly what the Word commands. He will stand
on the principles of the eternal Word, which has been
settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89). Satan also uses the
ploy of occupying the human mind with the six lust
patterns: sensual lust, approbation lust, material lust,
power lust, pride and reaction. He uses these lust pat-
terns to drown the believer in the past lines of his old
sin nature so that he will be occupied with self, rather
than with Christ. I Peter instructs Christians to be "as
obedient children, not fashioning yourselves accord-
ing to the former lusts in your ignorance" (I Peter
1:14).
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience: Among whom also we all
had our conversation in times past in the lusts of
our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the
mind; and were by nature the children of wrath,
even as others (Ephesians 2:2, 3).
Another technique Satan uses to incapacitate the be-
liever is to overwhelm him with internal and external
pressure. A believer who lacks character, wisdom or
healthy emotions cannot think objectively according to
the Word and, thus, has no capacity to handle pres-
sure. Satan takes advantage of his weakness, and stress
quickly overtakes him.
Still another ploy of the devil is to substitute God's
love with self-gratification, sublimation and sentimen-
tality. He offers Christians a counterfeit love that is
105
based on the attributes of another person rather than
unconditional love based on the cross of Calvary. Sen-
timentallove will never stand pressures or tests; it may
last a number of years, but if marriages and relation-
ships are not based upon the love of God they will not
survive the times of trial.
Doctrine of Privacy
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart
be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in
heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy
words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:2).
One of the greatest sins in the church today is that
very few Christians know how to be confidential. All
too frequently believers share private matters that were
discussed with another person before God. The result-
an innocent person is hurt and the matter is used by the
cosmic system for destructive purposes. The doctrine
of privacy is the right of every believer. It allows him
the freedom to protect his privacy. A person who
breaks a confidence violates this doctrine and commits
a serious sin that must be repented of as soon as it is
identified. Christians need to honor this doctrine and
must not allow the devil inroads for destroying human
freedom. The best way for a believer to honor the Word of
God is to keep to himself what is meant to be confidential.
Satan stores information concerning God's proce-
dures. He finds out the weaknesses of believers in
Christ and the strategy of God's Kingdom, then uses
this data for his purposes on a broad scale in order to
develop and intensify the problems a person may have.
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THREE CONSPIRACY
He wants to disrupt the unity of Christ's Church and
cause Christians to distrust one another. When allowed
he creates a_ in believers that eventuall;
quenches therr desrre to win the lost to Christ. Thus
concern is seen, which is to prevent
hevers from conformed to Christ's image (Romans
8:29): The behever should take note at this point that pri-
vacy to be used to cover sin (Mark 4:21 ,22) .
. must never violate confidences in a
fnendsh1p, because the kingdom of darkness will use it
to "separate even friends" if the matter is repeated
(P_roverbs 17:9). Every Christian should make a com-
to obey the doctrine of privacy. His own pri-
vacy 1s protected by the Lord Himself, for he will stand
or fall before God, not before others.
Who art thou that judgest another man's servant?
To his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he
shall be holden up: for God is able to make him
stand (Romans 14:4).
107
CHAPTER
VI
Conspiracies Against
Jesus Christ
Remember the word that I said unto you, The ser-
vant is not greater than his lord. If they have perse-
cuted me, they will also persecute you (John 15 :20a).
It is important that Christians be made aware of the
conspiracies devised against Jesus Christ. From the
day He was born to the day He died on the cross, Satan
contrived an intricate plan to attempt to destroy Him.
And when they were departed, behold, the angel of
the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying,
Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and
flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee
word: for Herod will seek the young child to de-
stroy him (Matthew 2:13).
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THREE CONSPIRACY
Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of
the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth,
and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem,
and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and
under, according to the time which he had dili-
gently enquired of the wise men (Matthew 2:16).
It is interesting that Jesus, who was perfect and
without sin, would be the victim of a conspiracy. Some
might casually say that conspiracies are not in the
Bible and that they do not happen in the church today.
However, if Jesus was conspired against and He was
perfect, are believers, as imperfect sinners saved by
grace, exempt from conspiracies? Of course not! That
does not mean that one should become paranoid, yet
Christians need to be aware and keen to the fact that
they do exist.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8).
Who Would Conspire Against God's Son?
When asked this question, most Christians would
think immediately of outwardly wicked people (mur-
derers, adulterers, etc.). Granted, these people may be
used in a conspiracy, but it was the highly religious
people who plotted against Jesus. They honestly be-
lieved that by killing him they would be doing God a
favor. Jesus forewarned his disciples and all believers
that they would receive the same treatment.
Those who conspired against Jesus did it because
they did not know the Father. They may have known
109
external things about Him, but they never got to know
His heart. This is the way that it usually is in con-
spiracies. Godly servants are evaluated by the letter of
the law, but not by their hearts. Man always looks on
the outward, but God looks upon the heart (I Samuel
16:7). The Pharisees were mad when Jesus and the dis-
ciples ate com on the Sabbath day (Mark2:23). They
said it was not lawful. Jesus brilliantly answered their
question:
And he said unto them, Have ye never read what
David did, when he had need, and was an hungred,
he, and they that were with him? How he went into
the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high
priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not law-
ful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them
which were with him? And he said unto them, The
sabbath was made for man, and not man for the
sabbath: Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of
the sabbath (Mark 2:25-28).
Even though Jesus satisfactorily answered their
charges against Him, they were not satisfied. They did
not ask "honest" questions for they had secret motives.
Luke 13: 11-17 describes the instance in which a
woman had an infirmity for eighteen years, and "was
bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself."
Jesus healed her and she glorified God. What could be
wrong with that? Yet, the ruler of the synagogue was
filled with indignation, or envy (verse 14 ). The ruler
stated, "There are six days in which men ought to
work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not
on the sabbath day." Again, Jesus answered their
charges:
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THREE CONSPIRACY
The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou
hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath
loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him
away to watering? And ought not this woman,
being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath
bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this
bond on the sabbath day? And when he had said
these things, all his adversaries were ashamed:
and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious
things that were done by Him (Luke 13:15-17).
Why Would Jesus Be Conspired Against?
Matthew 27: 18 says, "For he knew that for envy
they had delivered him." Only heaven will reveal how
many conspiracies were caused because of envy. W. E.
Vine states, "Envy is the feeling of displeasure pro-
duced by witnessing or hearing of the advantage or pros-
perity ofothers." Envy is one feeling that Satan always
takes advantage of in a person's life. Proverbs 14:30
declares, "A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but
envy the rottenness of the bones." Song of Solomon
8:6 says that jealousy is cruel as the grave. It is "the
rage of a man" (Proverbs 6:34a). Jealousy is the only
sin for which there was a special offering (Numbers 5).
One might ask, why would they be jealous of Jesus
who only came to save and not destroy? "But this com-
eth to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is writ-
ten in their law, They hated me without a cause" (John
15:25). Jesus gave them no reason to be envious of
Him. In Mark 14:4, there were some who had indigna-
tion within themselves, and asked, "Why was this
waste of the ointment made?" Some were angry be-
cause the woman poured the ointment upon Christ's
Ill
head. They did not think that this was the best way for
the ointment to be used.
For it might have been sold for more than three
hundred pence, and have been given to the
And they murmured against her. And Jesus sazd,
Let her alone; why trouble ye her? She hath
wrought a good work on me (Mark 14:5, 6).
Why would they conspire against It is. truly a
mystery of iniquity. As was mentioned
they actually felt they were doing God a favor .. Th1s 1s
a paradox! They were "helping" God by plotting and
killing His Son. They were ignorant of what they were
doing. "Which none of the princes of this world
for had they known it, they would not have crucified
the Lord of glory" (I Corinthians 2:8).
How Did They Conspire Against Christ?
In Matthew 26:4, it is recorded that conspirators
"consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty,
and kill him." "Consulted," in verse four, is the
Greek word sumbouleuo, which means "to jointly
give advice and deliberate in an orderly fashion, to
use craft deceit and tricks in order to kill." Continu-
ally, Christ was the object of a In
Luke 22:4, Judas "communed with the chzefpnests
and captains, how he might betray him unto them."
The word "communed" is the Greek word sullaleo,
meaning "to talk together, to converse until they
knew the plan perfectly." One assume t_hat a
conspiracy is a premeditated, defined act against a
112
THREE CONSPIRACY
person or group.
Matthew 27: 1 says that the chief priests and elders
"took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death."
"Took counsel" is sumboulion in the Greek, and it
means "deliberation through gathering informa-
tion." In Luke 6: 11 , "they were filled with madness;
and communed one with another about what they
might do to Jesus." "Communed one with another" is
the Greek word dialaleo, which means "to talk
throughout a company, to publish, to let everything
be known abroad that others might find out new in-
formation."
The Bible is specific in its list of characteristics of
a conspiracy. In Luke 19:47, the Word of God says,
"the chief priests and the scribes and chief of the
people sought to destroy him." Zeteo is the Greek
word for "sought." This means, "a plot by inquiry of
his worst enemies." In other words, they found out
who his worst enemies were and began the plot by
inquiring of them. John 11:47 says, "Then gathered
the chief priests and the Pharisees a council."
"Gathered" is the Greek word sunago, which
means, "to convene with hospitality and kindness
toward one another, in order to show that they are
doing God a favor." Lastly, in John 11:53, "they
to9k counsel together for to put him to death."
"Took counsel together" is sumbouleuo in the
Greek, which is the same word used in Matthew
26:4. It means, "they recommended, after much de-
liberation, a determined sentence to kill him." It is
quite clear that the strategy, phases, plotting, devis-
ing and every detail of a conspiracy comprise a com-
113
plex system of evil designed to destroy the work of
God.
False Witnesses Against Christ
Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the coun-
cil, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to
death: But found none: yea though many false wit-
nesses came, yet found they none. At the last came
two false witnesses (Matthew 26:59-60).
In most conspiracies, there are false witnesses in-
volved who distort the truth. It is interesting here that it
was the chief priests, elders and all the council who
were seeking these witnesses. They knew they did not
have any legitimate charges against him, so they tried
to invent some. The false witnesses said of Jesus:
This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of
God, and to build it in three days. And the high
priest arose, and said unto him, answerest thou
nothing? what is it which these witness against
thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest
answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the
living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the
Christ, the Son of God. Jesus said unto him, Thou
has said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter
shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand
of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then
the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath
spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of
witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blas-
phemy (Matthew 26:61-65).
They could have called thousands of people whose
lives Jesus had changed and healed. However, the
114
THREE CONSPIRACY
council did not have need of any further witnesses. The
two false ones would be enough. Unfortunately, that is
the kind of "objectivity" that is used in most con-
spiracies. They were only interested in finding a
reason why they could put Jesus to death (verse 59).
What think ye? They answered and said, He is
guilty of death. Then did they spit in his face, and
buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms
of their hands, saying, prophesy unto us, thou
Christ, Who is he that smote thee? (Matthew 26:66-
68).
As evidenced in the scriptural examples in this chap-
ter, it is clear that Jesus Christ was constantly being at-
tacked throughout His earthly ministry. Today, Chris-
tians are ambassadors and representatives of Christ on
the earth (II Corinthians 5:20). They are living epis-
tles, making manifest Christ to the world (II Corin-
thians 3:2,3). Believers have Christ, the hope of glory,
in them (Colossians 1 :27), making them the prime
target for Satan's attacks. By viewing carefully the
conspiracies against Christ, God's children are en-
couraged to be "strong in the Lord, and in the power of
his might" and to "put on the whole armour of God,
that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the
devil" (Ephesians 6:10).
115
CHAPTER
VII
Notes on Conspiracy
This chapter is intended as a guide to aid in further
study on conspiracies. It touches upon the four pro-
gressions of evil and briefly defines different types ~ f
conspiracies as exemplified in the Old Testament. Th1s
section is by no means an exhaustive study; rather, it is an
outline designed to provoke thought on the subject.
Satan's System of Evil
Throughout the Bible, the Holy Spirit uses the word
'evil" to describe Satan's system. Evil is the policy by
which the devil operates. His government is intricately
organized to destroy a believer's spiritual capacity. He
has conformed this world's system (the cosmos) to pro-
mote his ideals, aims and methods.
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THREE CONSPIRACY
Lewis Sperry Chafer states, "The root of evil in the
cosmos is that in it there is an all-comprehensive order or
system which is methodized on a basis of complete inde-
pendence of God." Chafer adds, "The faithful pastor or
evangelist is most sorely assailed by every device of
Satan being used to distort the one all-important message
of grace into something that is not vital. Certainly there is
abundant reason for the believer to expect the fiercest op-
position from Satan and Satan's host in all his life and
service."
It is vital that evil is distinguished from personal sin.
Personal sin does not necessarily mean that an individual
is taking part in the system of Satan's government. When
a believer commits this type of sin, he breaks fellowship
with God. If he does not repent from his sin according to
I John 1:9, he will definitely become a candidate for lov-
ing chastisement from His heavenly Father (Hebrews
12:6-11; Proverbs 3:1 1, 12). When a Christian becomes
a part of an evil system, he has gone beyond committing
personal sins (I Chronicles 21: 17). Rather, he has be-
come an ally with a system employed by the devil to rob
the Christian of experiencing the fullness of Jesus Christ
and to do damage to God's divine plan. Jesus taught His
disciples to pray "deliver us from evil" (Matthew 6:13).
In other words, He taught them the reality of evil and
how to pray for protection. Two systems exist: divine
goodness and a system of evil. Proverbs 15:3 says, "The
eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil
and the good."
The following notes provide a definition of the four-
phase progression of evil.
117
Intrinsic Evil
Intrinsic evil is so named because it pertains to the es-
sential nature of man. His fallen state is thoroughly de-
praved. Jeremiah 17:9 attests to this fact, "The heart is
deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who
can know it?" The Hebrew word for "wicked" is anash,
which means "incurably sick, and evil in nature."
Mark 7:18-23 says:
And he saith unto them, Are ye so without under-
standing also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever
thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot
defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but
into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging
all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the
man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of
the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,
fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wicked-
ness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from
within, and defile the man.
Thayer comments that the heart is the storehouse by
which man brings forth evil words:
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart
bringethforth that which is good; and an evil man out
of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that
which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his
mouth speaketh (Luke 6:45 ).
The evil conscience is aware of wickedness. Hebrews
10:22 tells us of the need for every man to have his heart
sprinkled with the blood of Christ and washed with the
pure water of the Word of God.
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THREE CONSPIRACY
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of
faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil con-
science, and our bodies washed with pure water (He-
brews 10:22).
Satan's strategy is to take advantage of man's intrinsic
evil. Romans 12:21 commands, "Be not overcome of
evil, but overcome evil with good." "Be not overcome"
is me niko in the Greek. It is a present, passive, impera-
tive of nikao, which means "to not let the forces of intrin-
sic evil in your soul to subdue your mind and emotions."
The imperative mood is used with the negative me mean-
ing that these believers had already allowed this process
to begin in their souls. The Apostle Paul was command-
ing them not to be overcome with that system, but with
God's system of divine goodness.
Please remember that the devil' s number one strategy
is to get Christians in a place where evil subdues their
souls. Paul stated, "/find then a law, that, when/ would
do good, evil is present with me" (Romans 7:21 ).
The word for this type of evil in the Greek is kakos and
it means "evil in character." Another definition is "moral
or ethical evil in qualities, emotions, passions and deeds,
or self-destructive through personal corruption."
Early Stages in Intrinsic Evil's Control
Intrinsic evil is not always easy to perceive. The devil
begins this process in the believer's life by influencing
him to live by his feelings rather than by every Word that
proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). This
Christian evaluates life's happenings by sight and not
faith (II Corinthians 5:7). His friendships are centered
around personality rapport, instead of doctrinal rapport.
119
Human sincerity, sentimentality and the praises of men
are more important to him than the praises of God. Usu-
ally this type of believer will resent any kind of persecu-
tion that his church might be facing, and will be occupied
instead with some way that he and his church can gain ac-
ceptance from the masses. Of course, when one has for-
saken theW ord of God as his guide, he must seek accep-
tance from others. In fact, his emotions literally crave the
approval of men. The heart has already predetermined to
take the opposite realm of the Scriptures because the
devil has liberated this person from the cross. Thus, the
believer privately interprets the Word of God according
to experience. Personal experiences and incurable
wounds become a critic against the Word. This indi-
vidual is not able to function intelligently and objec-
tively. Subjectivity will always influence a person who is
a victim of intrinsic evil.
Through his order, government, atmosphere and sys-
tem of evil, Satan causes things, people and cir-
cumstances to take the place of God's presence and
fellowship in the believer's life. Individuals who have al-
lowed themselves to become a part of Satan's system can
no longer appreciate and respond to truth properly, con-
sistently and effectively for any length of time. As the
Christian's attitude toward the Word of God becomes
negative, he is set up for an internal conspiracy. As
Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"
Infectious Evil
One of the paramount characteristics of intrinsic evil is
that it is contagious. This is why the next phase is re-
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THREE CONSPIRACY
ferred as "infectious." Other people are infected by it.
The who has been affected by intrinsic evil is
negative the Word of God inwardly, and will at-
.to in_fluence others with his deceitfulness in order
to himself and to defend his own selfish motives.
IT Tlffiothy 3: 13 says, "But evil men and seducers shall
wa: worse. and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."
Evil here Is poneros, which means "wicked worth-
less, moral or ethical depravity." '
Guilt is the prime motivation of a person in this cate-
the Holy Spirit is always faithful to lov-
In?ly convict (John 16:8,9), this individual is more con-
scious of justifying himself at the expense of others. He
c?n?emns those who stay true to the Bible in their con-
VIctions so that can appear to be righteous (Job 40:8).
The tongue Is the tool that the devil uses to infect
who are around this person. James 3:8 defines,
The no tame; it is an unruly evil, full of
deadly polson. Agatn, Thayer's brings out that the
tongue Is filled with an evil (kakos) that injures.
The power and influence of evil is overwhelming
It is. unfortunate that many are not even aware of
It. Often, If a person in this type of deception is ap-
and corrected humbly by a godly servant, he is
likely to scoff than to accept the counsel. This indi-
has hardened his heart and does not hear God's
VOice 3:15). How can he be helped if the Word
of God IS not his guide? Many times, this person will ac-
cuse a. of a church of being beyond correction
when, m reahty, he is the one who has hardened his heart
to the correction of God. Titus 1 :9-12 describes the dif-
ference between the two:
121
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught,
that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort
and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many
unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they
of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped,
who subvert whole houses, teaching things which
they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of them-
selves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cre-
tians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
Such individuals are unruly, vain talkers and deceiv-
ers. Philippians 3:2 calls them "evil workers." They start
by just infecting a few people. Then, they go on to sub-
vert whole houses, usually through evil reports. Infec-
tious evil is a small group conspiracy. The next phase
is much more widespread in its influence.
Communal Evil
Evil is reproductive in nature. A small group is in-
volved in infectious evil will usually develop Into the
third type of evil- communal. Proverbs 4:14-17 says:
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the
way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it,
and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have
done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless
they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of
wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
These verses speak precisely of evil, ?r a
large group conspiracy. in state hter-
ally becomes obsessed with destr?ying Gods
tatives in the name of God. He IS restless until he has
caused someone to fall (verse 16). As was previously
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THREE CONSPIRACY
mentioned, the Pharisees and the chief priests (a large
group) sought to destroy Christ many times throughout
the New Testament (Matthew 26:59; Luke 19:47; John
11 :47,53). Communal evil may cause unbelievers to be-
come involved to help further their cause. Acts 14:2
says, "But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles,
and made their minds evil affected against the brethren."
In the Greek, the verb "made evil affected" is ekakosan,
an aorist, active, indicative of kakoo, which means "to
injure or evil affect." The indicative mood means that
this is a fact and most definitely done. What do they af-
fect? The minds of unbelievers and believers alike to be
mentally against the brethren (or any fruitful group of be-
lievers). How do they do it? Through the spreading of
slander and evil reports. The Pharisees and lawyers dur-
ing Jesus' public ministry called him a winebibber, a
gluttonous man and a friend of publicans and sinners
(Luke 7:34).
These are definitely not titles that any born-again be-
liever would be proud to be called. In John 5:18, Jesus
was charged with making Himself equal with the Father.
They accused a perfect Christ, while they were imperfect
sinners. Notice, Jesus never initiated a slanderous state-
ment to them; however, He did show them God's heart
of wrath towards them in Matthew 23.
The lesson that one can learn from Jesus is that He
would deal with the Pharisees as situations arose, but He
never let them divert Him from the original purpose for
which He had come - "to seek and to save that which
was lost" (Luke 19:10). Again, all conspiracies that
occur within churches are to sidetrack Christians from
propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
123
Conspiratorial Evil
Psalm 2 deals with the subject of conspiratorial evil,
which is the term used for nationwide conspiracy.
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a
vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and
the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord,
and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their
bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord
shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto
them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeas-
ure (Psalm 2:1-5 ).
This type of conspiracy certainly is possible, and may
happen when the entire nation begins to plot against be-
lievers in Jesus Christ. The leaders of conspiratorial evil
imagine vain things, set themselves up as rulers and take
counsel against the Lord.
Phaulos is another Greek word for evil, which means
"blowing your message to the wind so that it will be
spread everywhere, circulating it just as the wind
blows." Worthless information is spread forth to defeat
the victim of the conspiracy. This kind of evil will not
come into the light, nor listen to those who walk in the
light (John 3:19).
Different Types of Conspiracies
The following are some notes and scriptural exam-
ples of the different kinds of conspiracies.
National Conspiracy - This results when a group is
formed against a leader of a nation or a country. In
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THREE CONSPIRACY
Numbers 16:3, the princes of Korah gathered together
against Moses and Aaron. Again, the word "gathered"
is the Hebrew word meaning "to convoke, to assemble
a great multitude." A national conspiracy against
Jeremiah is recorded in Jeremiah 11:9-1 Oa:
And the Lord said unto me, A conspiracy is found
among the men of Judah, and among the inhabit-
ants of 1 erusalem. They are turned back to the in-
iquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear
my words.
Religious Conspiracy - In a religious conspiracy,
legalistic standards are followed to attack a messenger
of God. People involved in such a conspiracy often
take advantage of others for their own benefit or per-
sonal gain. One example is recorded in Ezekiel 22:23-
31:
And the word of the lord came unto me, saying, Son
of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not
cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indigna-
tion. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the
midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey;
they have devoured souls; they have taken the
treasure and precious things; they have made her
many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests have
violated my law, and have profaned mine holy
things: they have put no difference between the holy
and profane, neither have they shewed difference
between the unclean and the clean, and have hid
their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned
among them. Her princes in the midst thereof are
like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to
destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her
125
prophets have daubed them with untempered mor-
ter, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, say-
ing, Thus saith the Lord God, when the Lord hath
not spoken. The people of the land have used op-
pression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed
the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the
stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among
them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in
the gap before me for the land, that I should not de-
stroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured
out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed
them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have
I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord
God.
F amity Conspiracy- There are many examples both in
the Bible and in today's society of family conspiracies.
In Genesis 37:18, it is recorded that Joseph's brothers
conspired his death. "And when they saw him afar off,
even before he came near unto them, they conspired
against him to slay him." "Conspire" is the Hebrew
word nakal, which means "to defraud, to act treacher-
ously, or to beguile." Joseph's brothers all agreed to
plot against him, and they planned to lie to their father.
They were going to kill Joseph, but they ended up sell-
ing him into slavery. Their motive was jealousy be-
cause Joseph was their father's favorite child. They
seemed to get away with the plot, but God sovereignly
intervened. This is an example of a family conspiracy,
but it is important to know that, in God's sovereign
plan, He used it to make "all things work together for
good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28a).
Judges 9:1-5 describes how Abimelech schemed
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THREE CONSPIRACY
with his mother's brethren to slay seventy of his half-
brothers in order to become king:
And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to
Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and com-
muned with them, and with all the family of the
house of his mother' sfather, saying, Speak, I pray
you, in the ears of all the men ofShechem, Whether
is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerub-
baal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign
over you, or that one reign over you? Remember
also that I am your bone and your flesh. And his
mother's brethren spake of him in the ears of all the
men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts
inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is
our brother. And they gave him threescore and ten
pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-be-rith,
wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons,
which followed him. And he went unto his father's
house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of
Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon
one stone: notwithstanding yet J otham the
youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid him-
self.
In II Kings 12:20, Joash's servants devised a
conspiracy and slew Joash: "And his servants arose,
and made a conspiracy, and slew 1 oash in the house of
Millo, which goeth down to Silla." The words "made a
conspiracy" come from the Hebrew word kasah,
which means "a compact agreement knit together and
united in orderly fashion until it is accomplished."
Please note that the Bible uses the word "conspiracy."
Again, notice the family conspiracy against
Jeremiah:
127
For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father,
even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea,
they have called a multitude after thee: believe
them not, though they speak fair words unto thee
(Jeremiah 12:6).
Evil Reports
TheW ord of God tells the believer not to become in-
volved in listening to or communicating an evil report
(Exodus 23:1). He can discuss differences and share
honest convictions, but not his opinions to the extent of
dividing and injuring the local assembly.
Desire without knowledge is not good, and to be
over-hasty is to sin and miss the mark (Proverbs
19:2, Amplified).
God knows that when a report is presented to a per-
son by a confederate order of Satan's kingdom, then
"cockatrice eggs" will be planted in his mind, ready to
hatch some day (Isaiah 59:5 ). A cockatrice is a deadly
serpent that hatches from a cock's egg. An evil report
is likened unto this serpent. It takes time for an evil re-
port to incubate and to produce fruit, but when it
hatches, it is deadly. The process of deception takes
control quickly when a believer's emotions are vulner-
able, and when he lacks doctrine in his soul and the fill-
ing of the Spirit. This can happen to anyone who is in-
capacitated toward truth. Consequently, when God in-
structs not to receive an evil report, He is actually pro-
tecting believers. He knows each person's design and
wants to save His people from unnecessary turmoil.
Jesus said, "He that is without sin among you, let
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THREE CONSPIRACY
him first cast a stone ... " (John 8:7b). In other words,
the first qualification for listening to a report against
any person is that the listener must be perfect. This fact
immediately disqualifies any human being. The sec-
ond qualification is that the listener must be omnis-
cient; he must have all knowledge about the situation.
Thirdly, he must be omnipresent, or everywhere pres-
ent. Fourthly, the listener must be omnipotent, having
all power. In summary, a person must have all knowl-
edge, be everywhere present and have all power in
order to be a just judge. He would have to be sinless.
According to theW ord of God, anyone who professes
to be without sin is a liar (I John 1 :8). No human being
has the right to judge another. God Almighty is the
only one qualified, because He alone is perfect.
"Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matthew 7:1 ).
Therefore thou art inexcusable, 0 man, whosoever
thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest
another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that
judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that
the judgment of God is according to truth against
them which commit such things (Romans 2:1, 2).
(See also James 4:11,12 and Psalm 64:6-8).
Why do so many people have problems with this
doctrine when it is presented so clearly in the Scrip-
tures? Since no man is without sin, no one is qualified
to sit in judgment of another's sin.
For he shall have judgment without mercy, that
hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against
judgment (James 2:13).
129
CHAPTER
VIII
Absalom's Conspiracy
Against David
One of the most famous conspiracies found in the
Bible is the one of Absalom against his father David.
This conspiracy, recorded in II Samuel 13-18, illus-
trates the various characteristics mentioned in chapter
seven of this section. This chapter will examine how Ab-
salom's conspiracy against David was established.
Absalom was born out of a polygamous marriage ( 11
Samuel 3:3).
In all Israel there was none to be so much praised
as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot
even to the crown of his head there was no blemish
in him (II Samuell4:25).
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THREE CONSPIRACY
The narrative begins when Absalom's sister,
Tamar, became the object of the lustful needs of her
half-brother, Amnon. According to the eastern cus-
tom, when this occurred, Absalom would normally be
the one who would avenge his sister. Therefore, he
took Tamar and kept her in his own house for protec-
tion. Absalom told Tamar not to regard the matter (II
Samuel13:20). Yet, in II Samuel 13:23-29, it is re-
corded that Absalom made opportunity for revenge
against his half-brother Amnon by inviting all of his
brethren to a great sheep shearing event. When he gave
his servants the signal, they slew Amnon. Afterwards,
Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai, and re-
mained with him for three years (II Samuel13:37, 38).
At that time, David did not allow Absalom to appear
before his throne for two years (II Samuel14:28). In
rebellion, Absalom secretly plotted a revolt. First, he
overthrew Joab by burning his barley field (II Samuel
14:30). He caused this conflict so that he could secure
an interview with King David. For two years, Ab-
salom lived outside of Jerusalem, and then instigated
an intricate plan against his father that took forty years
to consummate.
Absalom resented his father tremendously after
being banished from his presence. For two years, he
experienced bitterness and reaction against his own
father. This bitterness built up in his heart, and he did
not take it to God in repentance.
Notice carefully how Absalom plotted against his
father in the early days of his conspiracy. In II Samuel
15:6b, the Word of God says that Absalom "stole the
hearts of the men of 1 srae l." He accomplished this by
131
fostering discontent among the people by making in-
sinuations against his own father (II Samuel 15:3).
Then, he left for Hebron to serve God and brought two
hundred men with him (verses 9-11). He did not reveal
his plans to anyone. Next, he consulted Ahithophel,
David's counselor, who sold out his loyalty to David in
order to join Absalom's ranks (verse 12). The steps of
the conspiracy are recorded in II Samuell5:2-4:
And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the
way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man
that had a controversy came to the king for judg-
ment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of
what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of
one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said unto
him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there
is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom
said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the
land, that every man which hath any suit or cause
might come unto me, and I would do him justice!
God knew that Absalom did not purpose in his heart
to repent of his bitterness. He did not make it a priority
to study the Word of God as his father David did. He
had the wrong kind of ambition: carnal power lust and
approbation lust. Finally, Absalom came into Hebron.
When David heard about the revolt, he immediately
prepared for flight. He left Jerusalem for Mahanaim.
He could have fought against his own son, but he loved
him too much.
During this crisis, David wrote the 23rd Psalm. This
Psalm does not reflect that David was under divine dis-
cipline; his chastisement had long since been lifted. At
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THREE CONSPIRACY
this time, he was suffering for the Kingdom of God.
Through the counsel of Ahithophel, Absalom came
in to take possession of his father's harem, since his
father had left the city. During this time, a great battle
was fought in Ephraim, where the army of Absalom
was defeated and twenty-thousand were slain. An even
greater number perished in the forest. When Absalom
fled on a mule, his head was caught in the bows of a
great oak, and he was left there until Joab slew him (II
Samuel18:9-15).
Absalom continually dishonored his father by refus-
ing to submit. He did not have a forgiving heart. In
fact, his heart was far from God. This principle is seen
in Mark 7:6b, which says, "This people honoureth me
with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Ab-
salom was tragically killed as he reaped the wages of
his sin.
When the message came to David concerning Ab-
salom's death, he made this cry to God: "0 my son Ab-
salom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died
for thee, 0 Absalom, my son, my son!" (II Samuel
18:33b). David had a measure of guilt because he had
been away from the palace for two years, but he also
had God's unconditional love for his son. This love
characterized his attitude toward Saul, as well as
Jonathan. David was so mature that while his son or-
ganized an attack against him, he said, "The Lord is
my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1 ). In other
words, he said, "The Lord is shepherding me, I shall
not have any need." He wrote this Psalm as he rested
purely in the Word of God. He experienced a perfect
133
peace and God gave him the victory. David's maturity
was proven under pressure. His grace orientation was
revealed under a tremendous time of testing, and
David came through with faith rest.
It is important to consider that it took forty years for
Absalom to finally come against his father. Con-
spiracies may take a long time to form. Be watchful of
any local ministry or any group in which the people
criticize, gossip, slander, find fault, or react. When
enough people make a habit of these sins, a conspiracy
may develop. Differences are understandable in com-
munication of spiritual matters. Checks and balances
are important, but there should not be rebellious or de-
structive criticism.
134
CHAPTER
IX
God's Provisions Against
Conspiracies
In an internal conspiracy, the emotions rebel against
the mentality of the soul, and the conscience has the
wrong norms and standards. The free volition decides
negatively against the pure truth in the Word of God.
How does the Christian guard against internal con-
spiracy? He can avoid this by being occupied with
Christ (Luke 19:13; Hebrews 12:2), humble (James
4:10), true to the Word of God and faithful to a local
church. It is important for the believer to be single-
eyed toward doctrine (Matthew 6:22), and to seek the
Kingdom of God first (Matthew 6:33). He should
guard his tongue, keep his heart pure and be filled with
135
the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18b). The grace-centered
believer will be enabled to live by every Word of God
(Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4).
The one who is occupied with Christ will not receive
negative statements. He will be careful what he hears
and how he hears. He is on guard against sentimental-
ity and relationships based on personality rapport. He
allows God to establish true friendships in his life
based upon doctrinal rapport. He is careful not to make
implications against the people of God. He has an at-
titude of availability toward them in a loving, edifying
way. Many people appear faithful, but their hearts are
far from God (Mark 7:6). Sooner or later, God will re-
veal whether a believer's attitude is one of hypocrisy,
or of faith-rest and trust in the character of God.
In addition to these things, the mature Christian
prays for those who are backsliding in their walk with
God. He loves them and does not speak negatively
about them. He commits them to God and lets Him re-
ward them accordingly.
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the
Lord reward him according to his works: Of whom
be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood
our words (II Timothy 4:14, 15).
Paul told Timothy to beware of Alexander the cop-
persmith. Was he being defensive or paranoid? Or did
he have a right as Timothy's spiritual father in the faith
(I Timothy 1 :2) to make him aware of evil that this man
had done to him? The Scriptures teach that believers
are to avoid those who cause divisions and offenses
contrary to doctrine.
136
THREE CONSPIRACY
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which
cause divisions and offences contrary to the doc-
trine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For
they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ
but their own belly; and by good words and a i ~
speeches deceive the hearts of the simple (Romans
16:17, 18).
Again, this does not mean that a person is to get
mentally negative toward those who are involved with
conspiracies. Jesus paid for their sins, and if they will
repent of their error, they can have fellowship with
Him once again. However, He cannot effectively cor-
rect them if believers are sentimental and allow imper-
f e c ~ men to slander, malign and cast suspicion upon
fruitful servants of God. I Corinthians 15:33 com-
mands, "Be not deceived: evil communications cor-
rupt good manners."
Faithfulness to God
Guards The Heart Against Conspiracy
Those who are faithful to Jesus Christ are far out-
numbered by those who have forsaken Him. When a
ministry is faithful to God and faithful to doctrine this
brings God glory. When His people are faithful t ~ the
worldwide vision for lost souls, to live by every Word
of God and to be pure, then God is greatly pleased.
Thank God for the steadfastness of His people. One of
the greatest blessings at the Bema Seat will be when
Jesus Christ says, "Well done, thou good and faithful
servant" (Matthew 25:2la). In I Corinthians 4:2, the
Word of God says that it is required of a steward that he
"be found faithful." Thank God for the people who are
137
faithful in their minds, in their emotions, in love and in
obedience to God in the details of their lives. Faithful-
ness is a beautiful gift that believers can give to God.
He will give in return tremendous reward and blessing.
Therefore the Christian is exhorted to live by every
word that from the mouth of God and remain
faithful!
A faithful man shall abound with blessings (Proverbs
28:20a).
A faithful ambassador is health (Proverbs 13 :17b ).
For the Lord preserveth the faithful (Psalm
31 :23b).
Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land
(Psalm 101 :6a).
These sayings are faithful and true (Revelation
22:6a).
God's Way Out of Conspiracies
As has been already stated, there are many different
kinds of conspiracies. Unfortunately, all men have a
capacity to be involved to some degree such an oper-
ation. The emotions will always be trying to take over
the mind. Faith in God will be challenged by the sight
provided by life's experience. There be some who
have been a part of a small group conspiracy unknow-
ingly. All believers are responsible and
for their actions. They reap what they sow ( Galatzans
6:8). If one sows an evil report church
of God he will eventually reap the evil things that he
has so;,n (Psalm 64:7,8). The Father preserves His
138
THREE CONSPIRACY
people in the midst of conspiracies. He finds a way to
bless them (l\1atthew 5:11, 12).
These principles are not necessarily being restated
here for the sake of those affected by conspiracy; this
section is written so that those who have been involved
with a conspiracy can be delivered from the turmoil
that it causes in the soul.
Conspiracies produce tremendous wounds in a per-
son's soul. Proverbs 18:8 states, "The words of a
talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the
innermost parts of the belly." Again, listening to half-
truths and distortions against the Lord's servants pro-
duces these problems in the deep, innermost parts of the
heart.
If someone has been involved with a conspiracy, he
needs to be honest before God and admit it. If he has
made phone calls, sent letters, or consistently made re-
marks that cast suspicion against the brethren, he
needs to name it as sin. It is important to add here that
involvement in a conspiracy is not considered sin
based on the subjective opinions or accusations of
other people. Rather, it is sin because the Bible clearly
states that it is. Therefore, the believer needs to go to
God, not for the church's sake, but because he is losing
out on fellowship, winning souls, love and inner peace
due to his hardness of heart. I John 1:9 explains the
road back to restoration and reconciliation. "If we con-
fess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." It is
important to understand that when a believer sins, he
sins in a specific area. Thus, when he repents he must
repent specifically for the area that he has missed the
139
mark in. If he does not confess his sin to God specifi-
cally, then the hold that the sin has in his life will prob-
ably not be loosened. Thus, intrinsic evil will still have
the channel to become infectious evil, even though the
Christian may not be aware of it. Many individuals re-
pent like this, "Lord, I am sorry for anything that I
have done in all my Christian life." It is admirable to be
sorry, but deliverance comes from specific obedience.
When Zacchaeus repented he went to those whom he
had wronged and made restitution to each one fourfold
(Luke 19:8).
Repentance: God's Provision
Many Christians think of repentance as a very un-
pleasant experience. It is only negative when it is
avoided. This avoidance is exceedingly sinful and
grievous! God's way out of sin is repentance. First, the
believer comes boldly and humbly to the throne of
grace and repents. He realizes that it is God whom he
has wronged and rejected. Next, God may lead the be-
liever to go to a brother whom he has hurt to receive his
forgiveness. If he has hurt a particular church, he
should go to the elders of that church and seek recon-
ciliation. If someone has spoken negatively to many
people causing them to believe lies against a Christian,
he should somehow contact each one he has influenced
in this manner and let them know that he was wrong in
spreading discord and for consciously being a mouth-
piece for the devil against the work or workers of God.
This may seem like a hard thing to do, but it is harder to
live with the Holy Spirit being grieved, wounds in the
heart and separation from the brethren because of
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THREE CONSPIRACY
negative decisions.
God wants to restore those who have strayed away
from this area. He wants to heal the infectious wounds.
Receiving the Word of God in specifics will begin this
process.
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered
them from their destruction (Psalm 107:20).
God will use the Word of God to show His children
the areas that need His touch. It is truly God's Word
that must be the norm and standard of every indi-
vidual's life. It is objective. It provides light and defi-
nition to the paths that are taken in daily life (Psalm
119:105). The believer needs the Word of God every
day (Job 23:12). The reproof that its instruction gives
is the way of life (Proverbs 6:23). The Word of God is
truly the provision that has been given to Christians to
protect them from conspiracy. Psalm 17:4b states, "By
the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the
destroyer."
141
CONCLUSION
It is encouraging to see that in the last two decades,
many ministries from various denominations have
been extremely effective in reaching the lost. There is
love, great devotion to Christ, a hunger for the Word of
God and a new surge of objectivity. There are many
marvelous works of God going on today where there is
fruit, love and edification, and where people are serv-
ing God in obedience to the Great Commission. Any
such fruitful ministry will probably, at some time, face
a conspiracy. This book was written as preventive
medicine and also to help heal wounds of pastors or
church members who have been through conspiracies,
and need definition on how to guard against future
satanic attacks. As this subject is taught and believers
are educated in this matter, perhaps some "would-be"
conspiracies will be prevented from occurring in the
coming years.
142
APPENDIX
Slander
by RICK KNAPP
The Definition
of Slander
There is a trend today that destroys friendships,
sows discord and spreads rumors, and it has even
become prevalent in the Christian church. This
policy is called slander. The purpose of the
section is to bring to light a ploy of Satan by revealing
what the Scriptures say about this very important sub-
ject. The Christian needs to study this doctrine care-
fully, for the use of slander often causes to
abandon the very Word from which they draw their hfe
(Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4 ). Believers need to be made
aware of the evils of slander and of the fact that "death
and life are in the power of the tongue" (Proverbs
18:21).
146
APPENDIX SLANDER
Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word,
nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out
of your mouth; but only such [speech] as is good
and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as
is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be
a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those
who hear it. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God, (do not offend, or vex, or sadden Him) by
Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's
own, secured) for the day of redemption- of final
deliverance through Christ from evil and the conse-
quences of sin. Let all bitterness and indignation
and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resent-
ment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling,
clamor, contention) and slander (evil speaking,
abusive or blasphemous language) be banished
from you, with all malice (spite, ill-will or baseness
of any kind). And become useful and helpful and
kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassion-
ate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one
another [readily and freely], as God in Christ for-
gave you (Ephesians 4:29-32, Amplified).
Slander is the policy of Satan. The slanderer is a person
who is trafficking in the atmosphere of Satan, the arch-
accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:9-12), and the
opposer of God and men, especially redeemed men
(Zechariah 3:1). Slander is a heinous sin against the
cross of Christ and redemption by His blood, and it
goes against all redemptive ethics. (For redemptive
ethics, see I Peter 3:8; II Corinthians 5:14-21; I
Corinthians 13:4-7; I Peter 4:8-10; Proverbs 10:12;
Ephesians 4:29-32). Whereas certain sins are often at
the forefront of the consciousness of the average pro-
147
fessing Christian as being most heinous, the sin of
slander is often not considered in its devastating reality
and in its full intensity. Only eternity will be able to
disclose the full devastation of this vicious policy of
evil.
The purpose of this section is to equip the believer
with a scriptural analysis of a trend of these times.
Slander has permeated the realm of politics, the media,
entertainment, sports, and tragically, the realm of
Christendom to the point where now there are even
"experts" and "ministries" devoted to the defamation
of Christian men, women, ministries and servants of
God. That these so-called experts actually derive their
income from these maligning reports indeed places
them in the category of satanically-influenced indi-
viduals and organizations.
Slander in the Book of Proverbs
The book of Proverbs sheds much light on the topic
of slander. Several scriptures that deal with slander are
discussed here:
He who hides hatred is of lying lips, and he who
utters a slander is a [self-confident] fool (Proverbs
10:18, Amplified).
The word for slander in the Hebrew is dibbah,
meaning "evil report or the activity of defaming." It is
taken from the Hebrew word dabab, which means "to
move slowly." One must be on his guard because slan-
derers move in slowly, subtly and take a person by
surprise. They conceal their hatred with lying and flat-
tering speech; then when the object of their hatred is
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APPENDIX SLANDER
unaware, they strike and make him their victim.
He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets,
but he who is trustworthy and faithful in spirit keeps
the matter hidden (Proverbs 11:13, Amplified).
The talebearer is the opposite of one who is
trustworthy and faithful in spirit. He can never be
trusted to keep confidences, and he reveals secrets to
others. The word for talebearer here is a combination
of two Hebrew words: rakiyl, which means "slander-
monger" and halak, which means "to walk and be con-
tinually conversant" or "to wander and to slander."
Wandering from truth and slandering are both satanic
policies. First, Satan causes the person to wander from
doctrine (I Timothy 4:1 ), and then the person gives in
to slander in order to support his independent position.
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer
separates chieffriends (Proverbs 16:28).
Proverbs 16:28 is what is known as a "synonymous
distich" or a "synonymous parallelism." The synony-
mous distich is a two-line poem that communicates
doctrine by having the second line reinstate the truth of
the first line to emphasize the intrinsic meaning of the
thought. The purpose is to drive home the teaching or
doctrine to the heart. By means of distich, it may be
concluded that the slanderer is froward (perverse), he
sows arguments, and he separates intimate friends. He
often comes into congregations that are effective in
spreading the Gospel, that are experiencing the unity
of the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 1:10) and that are
continuing in the Word of God (John 8:31). The slan-
149
derer is a satanic agent employed to sow discord,
spread rumors, repeat hearsay statements, etc. This
person attempts to separate friends who are in fellow-
ship with one another. Thus, slander may be the cause
of destroying friendships.
He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love,
but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates
even close friends (Proverbs 17:9, Amplified).
This verse is a repetition of the truth seen in Prov-
erbs 16:28. It is what is known as an "antithetical
parallelism," which teaches doctrine by giving a state-
ment poetically, then stating the opposite to emphasize
the essential truth. By Proverbs 17:9, it may be de-
duced that the policy of love means that one refuses to
repeat or harp on others' failures and offenses. Slan-
der, therefore, is a policy of evil that directly opposes
the policy of love.
The practitioner of slander has not yet passed from
death into life, according to I John 3:14, for he prac-
tices the opposite of love:
We know that we have passed from death unto life,
because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his
brother abideth in death.
The words of a whisperer or talebearer are as
dainty morsels; they go down into the innermost
parts of the body (Proverbs 18:8, Amplified).
Evil reports may be like tasty morsels - there is a
curious part of man's humanity that delights to hear
"tidbits" of gossip, but these tidbits will reside deep in
the subconscious of the hearer and will definitely
150
APPENDIX SLANDER
affect the friendship he has with the person spoken
about. This gossip has devastating potential in a
church, on a team, in an organization, etc.
The word for "whisperer" (verse 8) in the Hebrew is
nirgan, which means "to roll to pieces; a slanderer."
This provides an apt picture of the destructive effects
of slander on the reputation of the one who is slan-
dered.
He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets;
therefore associate not with him who talks too
freely (Proverbs 20:19, Amplified).
In this verse, the word for talebearer is rakiyl in
Hebrew, and it means "scandal-monger." It is from
rakal, which means "to travel about for trading pur-
poses or to be a spice-merchant." Many have heard the
words "spicy gossip." The believer is not to associate
with the spice peddler or, in other words, the
talebearer. The best policy is to note these people men-
tally and avoid them consciously (Romans 16:17; I
Corinthians 15:3 3). The Christian is to beware of the
spice merchant, or the peddler of gossip.
Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out;
yea, strife and reproach shall cease (Proverbs
22:10).
The only policy toward the habitual scoffer, slan-
derer or practitioner of the sins of the tongue is to expel
him from the company of believers. One can under-
stand the hard-line policy of Proverbs 22: 10 when one
perceives the intensely destructive nature and hellish
policy of slander. Likewise, when a congregation has
151
purposed to live only in redemptive ethics, to speak
only that which is to the use of edifying (Ephesians
4:29), and to "speak the same thing" (I Corinthians
1:10), the scoffer and slanderer have no fuel for their
fire and will eventually either die out or leave.
The north wind brings forth rain; so does a backbit-
ing tongue bring forth an angry countenance
(Proverbs 25:23, Amplified).
When backbiting is met by an "angry countenance"
in the context of the local assembly, the slanderer will
soon come to know that his satanic policy may not
dwell in the midst of a company of people committed
to redemptive ethics and the love that covers all trans-
gressions (Proverbs 10:12; II Corinthians 6:14-18).
Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so
where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth
(Proverbs 26:20).
This is another synonymous distich that provides a
tremendous principle of wisdom. Where there is no
slanderer peddling his wares, the fire goes out. The fire
is one that is set from Hell itself. James 3:5,6
(Amplified) speaks of the tongue as a fire:
Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can
boast of great things. See how much wood or how
great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze! And the
tongue (is) a fire. (The tongue is a) world of
wickedness set among our members, contaminat-
ing and depraving the whole body and setting on
fire the wheel of birth- the cycle of man's nature-
being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna).
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APPENDIX SLANDER
The tongue that utters slander is a tongue that acts as
a channel by which the policies of Hell may inflame a
man's whole nature and spread to destroy and defile
many lives (see Hebrews 12:15).
The words of a whisperer (nigran) or slanderer are
as dainty morsels or words of sport [to some, but to
others are as deadly wounds] and they go down
into the innermost parts of the body [or of the vic-
tim's nature] (Proverbs 26:22, Amplified).
This verse is extremely revealing and contains a
powerful warning. Though to some the words of a
slanderer are "tasty tidbits" (that is, the unregenerate
human nature desires to hear negative reports about
others), to some they are as wounds. These maligning
words go to the subconscious mind and make a victim
of the hearer. The born again believer is not to listen to
slander. If he does, he could be affected for months or
even years. If he knows that he has listened to gossip or
slander, he needs to confess it as sin (I John 1 :9), and
let the Lord cleanse him of its devastating effects.
Then he must make conscious and repeated decisions
to mark and avoid such slander-mongers (Romans
16:17), and to fellowship with those who edify with
their speech, minister grace to the hearer and refuse the
corrupt communication that grieves the Spirit of God.
Other Examples of Slander
But to the wicked, God says, What right have you to
recite My statutes, or to take My covenant or
pledge on your lips, Seeing you hate instruction
[the slanderer is outright negative against Bible
153
doctrine - instruction in II Timothy 3:16, 17] and
cast My words [categorical doctrine] behind you -
discarding them? When you see a thief you as-
sociate with him, and you have taken part with
adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, and your
tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against
your brother; you slander your own mother's son.
These things you have done and I kept silent; you
thought I was one entirely like yourself; but [now] I
will reprove you and put [the charge] in order be-
fore your eyes. Now consider this, you who forget
God, lest I tear you in pieces [this is poetic justice
for the slanderer, nigran, whose words roll to
pieces] and there be none to deliver (Psalm 50:16-
22, Amplified).
There are two words that combine to mean "slander"
in verse 20. One is nathan, which means "to give" and
the other is dophiy, which means "to push over" or
"stumbling-block." Slander gives cause for others to
stumble, but the one who walks in the light (I John
2:10) is never a cause for a brother to stumble.
Another word that aptly portrays the ugliness of
slander is found in Psalm 101 :5. The word for "privily
slander" is lashan, which means literally "to lick," and
it signifies "the wagging of the tongue." It also means
to accuse. The essence of slander is accusation, and the
old serpent ( ophis in Greek), the dragon and the devil
is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). The
slanderer is definitely operating in the motivating
power-sphere of the prince of the power of the air:
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the
course of this world, according to the prince of the
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APPENDIX SLANDER
power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2).
Slander: The Seed of Conspiracy
If slander goes unchecked, it is likely to lead to con-
spiracy. Remember, the progression of evil is in four
basic steps. First, there is intrinsic evil. The Greek
word is kakos and it is used many times in the New
Testament. Then, there is infectious evil, which is the
Greek word poneros (II Timothy 3:13). Slander is in-
fectious as it begins to ensnare others in its evil and so
becomes communal evil (Proverbs 4:17).
Communal evil becomes conspiratorial evil. This is
antichrist policy and is always aimed "against the
Lord, and against His anointed" (Psalm 2:2, 3). The
servant of God often becomes the eventual focal point
of the conspiracy. Psalm 2 is speaking of a future event
in one sense, but its practical application for the pres-
ent is obvious.
Psalm 41:7-9 is a picture of conspiratorial slander-
the worst kind. It was against David historically and
was also a prophetic picture of the conspiracy against
Jesus Christ. Judas Iscariot' s betrayal is referred to in
these verses. Judas was called by Jesus "a devil" in
John 6:70, meaning he was a slanderer who entered
into conspiratorial slander and betrayal against Christ
the Anointed One. Slander always has as its final o b ~
ject anyone associated with Christ. It is always in di-
rect opposition to Christ- therefore, it is the anti christ
policy. Revelation 13:6a speaks of the beast "And he
opened his mouth in blasphemy against God."
155
David was slandered as God's anointed king in
Psalm 31:13:
For I have heard the slander of many [ conspirato-
rial and communal evil], terror on every side!
While they schemed together [conspiratorial evil]
against me, they plotted to take my life (Amplified).
The word for slander in this verse is dibbah, denot-
ing a "defaming, or evil report." Slander is verbal mur-
der- a device of Satan, who was a murderer from the
beginning! (John 8:44). The way of slander is Sheol -
death. The rest of chapter 31 is an expression of
David's trust and confidence in God's essence to de-
liver him and to silence the slanderer in Sheol! (Psalm
31:17, 18).
Avoiding Slander
One of the requirements for experiencing fellowship
in time in God's tabernacle is to avoid slander. The one
who has a right relationship with God is described in
Psalm 15:1-3:
Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall
dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly,
and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth
in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue,
nor doeth evil to his neighbour, not taketh up are-
proach against his neighbour.
Verse 2 describes the upright man as one who
speaks truth in his heart. John 17:17 says that the Word
of God is truth. As the believer thinks according to
God's Word, it becomes his frame of reference. This
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APPENDIX SLANDER
person's words will not be based upon personal opin-
ion or evaluation; rather, his words will be objective
according to the truth in the Scriptures. "For of the
abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh" (Luke
6:45c). Therefore, it is obvious that the one who slan-
ders is not rooted and grounded in the truth of God's
Word.
The Cross
As a conclusive point to this doctrine, it must be re-
stated that slander is the opposite of redemptive ethics.
In Matthew 16:23a, Jesus said to Satan through Peter:
"Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence [scan-
dalon in the Greek] unto me." Satan used Peter as a
channel to throw a stumbling block in front of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Why? To keep Him from considering the
cross as His major reference point. Satan has not
changed his ways! He attempts to get believers to have
anything be their point of reference but the cross.
When this occurs, the Christian will judge people by
sight (John 7:24; II Corinthians 5:7; II Corinthians
10:7), according to the flesh (If Corinthians 5:16), and
will not perceive their new creaturehood by virtue of
Christ's death, burial and resurrection on their behalf.
He will deviate from the cross and see all things
through natural viewpoint, or from a positional
standpoint by virtue of the cross. The one who lives in
redemptive ethics with "Christ and Him crucified" as
his point of reference will see each member of the
Church of Christ as "in Christ" (If Corinthians 5:17).
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